KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Bernama) -- SME Bank expects to meet its lending target of RM200 million for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) this year through a series of outreach programmes under XCESS 2016.

Its Group Managing Director, Datuk Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus, said XCESS 2016 was part of the bank's outreach programmes the bank undertook every year to reach SME entrepreneurs directly and it has scheduled to have smaller scale outreach programmes throughout the country.

The next venue would be in Penang on March 22, Pahang on March 25, Kuching on March 31, Kota Kinabalu on April 1 and Kuala Lumpur on April 5, he said.

"From the XCESS programme, we will capture the database. There will be continuous engagements and we will try to understand their (SME) business needs and perhaps it will translate into financing for them," he told reporters after the launching of XCESS 2016 here today.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed launched the programme.

"Four financing programmes for SME entrepreneurs as announced by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during the 2016 Budget are now available for application," he said.

Radzif said SME Bank has allocated RM770 million fund for all the four programmes.

"The Industrialised Building System Promotion Fund was allocated RM500 million, SME Technology Transformation Fund with an allocation of RM200 million, My SEED SME Scheme for Indian entrepreneurs with a fund size of RM50 million, and RM20 million for "Skim Anjakan Usahawan"," he said.

He said SME Bank since its inception in 2005 until December 2015 has approved RM23 billion financing to over 13,000 customers.

-- BERNAMA KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Bernama) -- SME Bank expects to meet its lending target of RM200 million for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) this year through a series of outreach programmes under XCESS 2016.

Its Group Managing Director, Datuk Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus, said XCESS 2016 was part of the bank's outreach programmes the bank undertook every year to reach SME entrepreneurs directly and it has scheduled to have smaller scale outreach programmes throughout the country.

The next venue would be in Penang on March 22, Pahang on March 25, Kuching on March 31, Kota Kinabalu on April 1 and Kuala Lumpur on April 5, he said.

"From the XCESS programme, we will capture the database. There will be continuous engagements and we will try to understand their (SME) business needs and perhaps it will translate into financing for them," he told reporters after the launching of XCESS 2016 here today.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed launched the programme.

"Four financing programmes for SME entrepreneurs as announced by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during the 2016 Budget are now available for application," he said.

Radzif said SME Bank has allocated RM770 million fund for all the four programmes.

"The Industrialised Building System Promotion Fund was allocated RM500 million, SME Technology Transformation Fund with an allocation of RM200 million, My SEED SME Scheme for Indian entrepreneurs with a fund size of RM50 million, and RM20 million for "Skim Anjakan Usahawan"," he said.

He said SME Bank since its inception in 2005 until December 2015 has approved RM23 billion financing to over 13,000 customers.

-- BERNAMA