EXIM Bank Helping Local Companies Venture Abroad

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 (Bernama) -- The Export- Import Bank of Malaysia (EXIM Bank) is playing its role in exploring international markets to support local companies in their cross-border ventures, said Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=951431
Published: May 23, 2013

Source from (Business Times): http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/EXIMTA/Article/
Published: May 23, 2013

The government-owned bank disbursed RM3.1 billion worth of loans in 2012 and RM1 billion in 2011.

Exim Bank managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Adissadikin Ali said it is also looking at bolstering loans to the information, communications and technology (ICT) sector, which takes up less than 1.5 per cent of the loan allocation.

"Most of these ICT companies go to overseas markets by themselves and we want to work with the competent ICT companies on some form of financial collaborative arrangement," Adissadikin told reporters here yesterday.

He had earlier accompanied newly-appointed Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan to witness the signing of a memorandum of collaborative arrangement between Exim Bank, Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and the Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC).

Meanwhile, MDeC chief executive Datuk Mohd Badlisham Ghazali said there are some 200 ICT companies which are exporting software and other products worth a total of RM1.5 billion, especially in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

"We expect this to double to RM3 billion within a three-year period, of which 65 per cent will be in the Southeast Asia region and the rest to the Middle East, India and Europe."

"We have identified six competent companies with revenues of RM200 million, which is quite big for an ICT company and they can get the structured financing platform by Exim Bank to go abroad after going through a methodology verification by SME Corp," Badlisham said.

Meanwhile, CIDB chief executive Datuk Seri Professor Dr Judin Abdul Karim said the industry is already a global player and with the financial support, the sector can go further to countries like Indonesia, Myanmar and Africa.

Under their collaboration, Exim Bank will help MDeC and the CIDB to export services, namely in construction and ICT, to wider international markets.

The collaboration involves cross-border banking supervision, exchange of information and knowledge, sharing in all areas of financing, cooperation in capacity building and supporting the development as well as promotion of trade and export activities.