KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Rating Corporation Bhd (MARC) and Centre for Entrepreneur Development and Research (CEDAR) will work together to build-up small and medium enterprises (SME) in Malaysia to enable them to thrive in today's market.
CEDAR is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SME Bank Malaysia Bhd.
Since its inception in 2013, CEDAR has been instrumental in supporting and complementing SME Bank's developmental mission, successfully training over 82,000 entrepreneurs.
In a statement issued by MARC, it said the collaboration aims to foster a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Malaysia by combining MARC's strengths in credit ratings, economic research, and data analytics with CEDAR's expertise in business coaching and entrepreneur-focused mentoring.
MARC group chief executive officer Arshad Mohamed Ismail said by working together, MARC aims to provide entrepreneurs with the essential resources and insights they need to thrive in a competitive business environment.
Meanwhile, SME Bank chief executive officer Datuk Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim said this collaboration will significantly enhance the SME ecosystem by offering participating SMEs access to a comprehensive suite of developmental and intervention services, including coaching, facilitation, mentoring, advising, training, and consulting.
He said these services are crucial in equipping SMEs with the skills and expertise needed to thrive in a competitive market.
"We are confident that this partnership will play a vital role in driving the growth of SMEs nationwide, ultimately contributing to the broader economic development of our country," he added.Ends