OCBC targets RM4 billion loan disbursement for SMEs

OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd aims to disburse RM4 billion in loans for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by year-end. Last year the bank disbursed about RM2.5 billion. Director and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Chew said this year, the bank as of June, had approved RM5 billion in loans for SMEs with RM2 billion having been disbursed. "We are very proud that Malaysia is number one in terms of access to credit for SMEs and this is spearheaded by Bank Negara Malaysia, which has enabled the industry to develop. "They (SMEs) just need to have a good business plan, track record and human capital capability in areas such as branding, marketing, distribution and so forth," he told reporters at the ACCA SME Conference 2011 here. SME Corp Malaysia's Deputy Chief Executive Officer Mahdi Mohd Ariffin said the main challenge faced by SMEs today was actually cash flow. "When a bank looks at proposals, it needs to consider and access the cash flow of these SMEs because it helps them repay loans. "Access to finance should not be the issue confronting SMEs, as Malaysia has been recognised as being number one, in terms of getting access to credit and there is ample liquidity in the market," he added. He also said that banks are currently searching for good SMEs that have the potential to export or widen trade overseas.