IPOH: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Perak will receive financial assistance from the state government.
During the Platinum Business Awards (PBA) 2023 Ipoh roadshow on June 21, Perak state legislative assembly deputy speaker and Canning assemblyman Jenny Choy Tsi Jen highlighted the support provided by the state government towards SMEs.
These include:
- Financial aid of up to RM3,000 under Perak State Entrepreneur Secretariat, Yayasan Bina Upaya Darul Ridzuan and Perak State Agriculture Development Corporation
- Free SSM registration for B40 groups
- Interest-free loans of up to RM50,000 under Yayasan Perak
- Interest-free loans of up to RM100,000 for the agriculture sector under Perak State Agriculture Development Corporation
- BIZNITA special aid for single mother SME entrepreneurs under Sekretariat Pembangunan Wanita dan Masyarakat Perak.
The Ipoh roadshow is the second stop in a nationwide tour of nine locations that aims to promote PBA2023 and garner nominations among SMEs.
Perak SMEs are encouraged to enhance their brand identity through PBA2023.
Speaking during the Ipoh roadshow on June 21, organising chairperson of PBA2023 and SME Malaysia vice president Datuk Ada Poon highlighted free marketing for past PBA winners as one of the advantages of participating in the awards.
"The benefits of our awards are multifold, allowing winners to benchmark against their competitors, increase credibility, build more impact among potential customers, motivate employees and even attract new talents," she said.
SME Ipoh president Carlson Chia Ban Guan emphasised that many SMEs need to strengthen their branding and urged them to leverage on PBA2023 to do so.
"A brand is the soul of a company and an important asset," he said.
The awards programme, themed "Innovation, Transformation and Internationalisation", benchmarks the business performance and quality standards of SMEs and individuals across 19 award categories by nomination and four categories by invitation.
A special category, known as the Asia Pacific Outstanding Enterprise Award, was introduced to facilitate global networking and economic relations for Malaysian SMEs.
Participants from countries such as China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan and South Korea are invited to participate.
The event featured a briefing on the award nomination process, presentations by major event sponsors Hong Leong Bank (HLB) and Media Prima as well as a business networking session.
As a returning main sponsor, HLB emphasised the role of financial institutions as trusted partners in supporting SMEs' international expansion.
"As a bank with a strong entrepreneurship heritage, HLB is committed to supporting and empowering Malaysian SMEs on their journey towards innovation, transformation and expansion into international markets.
"Our SMEs possess immense potential and innovative ideas that can contribute significantly to the nation's economic growth.
"Through strategic collaborations, flexible financing solutions and personalised advisory services, we believe we are well-positioned to help our SME partners embrace industry advancements and sustainability challenges, enhance operational efficiency and gain a competitive edge on both local and global fronts," said HLB head of SME Banking Kevin Ng.
The awards presentation ceremony will take place on Nov 10 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, the strategic venue partner for the event.
Nominations for PBA2023 can be submitted online until Aug 15.
For further inquiries, please contact the awards secretariat at +603-8024 5787.