KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — SME Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp) is committed to increasing the number of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) penetrating the international market next year to 145 companies compared with 125 this year.
Chief executive officer Rizal Nainy said despite facing the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were still local MSMEs that succeeded in exploring the international market and going abroad.
“Companies that will be taken abroad are those involved in strategic industries,” he told a press conference after the opening ceremony of the Small and Medium Industries Development Expo (SMIDEX 2021) themed “MSME: Revitalise!” here today.
Meanwhile, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said the intake of foreign workers to overcome the shortage of workers in MSME companies would depend on the success of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for foreign workers in the plantation sector.
The government has recently decided to grant special approval to bring in 32,000 foreign workers to ease the labour shortage in the plantation sector subject to strict compliance of SOPs imposed by the Ministry of Health.
On next year’s plans, Noh said RM74 million was allocated for SME Corp to implement six programmes to help MSMEs start businesses and gain access to the international market.
“We will use internal funds to implement existing packages to help MSMEs make foray abroad,” he added. — Bernama
