Local -
• SME News
|
Agrobank Sandakan Gives Out Loans Worth RM3 Million To SMEs
SANDAKAN, April 23 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak branch Agrobank gave out loans amounting toRM3 million to operators of small and medium entreprises in the agriculture andfarming industry last year.
The loans were given out through the Micro EconomyStimulus Package (ESP-i) credit scheme.
The bank's branch manager, Che Azmi Che Leh, said theloans were part of funds of RM300 million offered by Angrobank to SMEsthroughout the country and was part of the economic stimulus package announcedby the government in March last year.
Che Azmi said many of the SMEs who received the ESP-imicro credit were operators of small oil palm estates requiring capital fortheir operations such as the purchase of fertilizers.
"The ESP-i micro credit not only provides benefitsto SMEs in the urban areas, but also to those involved in the agriculturesector in rural areas," he told reporters after a ceremony here to receivea cheque from Syarikat Green Ladang Sdn Bhd here today.
Through the micro credit scheme, the SMEs will be able toincrease their production in the respective areas they have ventured into.
Che Azmi said the micro credit scheme offered loans of upto RM50,000 to traders and entrepreneurs active in the agriculture andlivestock business as well as up to RM20,000 for operators in the food andnon-food processing sector.
He said the bank was actively going on field to interiorareas like Telupid and Tongod to promote the micro credit scheme and otherfacilities offered by Agrobank to the people in the rural areas.
He added that it was part of Agrobank's social servicesto the people including those outside town areas to save money.
"In the rural areas, the culture of saving moneyunder the pillows still exist and we would like to change this so that theysave money in the bank and get the benefits of our services," he said.-- BERNAMA
