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25 Jan 2010
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Signing of the tenancy agreement for the investPenang's Smart Centre at PSDC
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SMEs not yet up to mark
By TUNKU SHAHARIAH TUNKU YUSOFF
THE 3,000-odd local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which provide networking support for multinatio-nal corporations in Penang have not reached the sophistication required to become global pla-yers.
Penang Skills Development Corporation (PSDC) chief executive officer Datuk Boonler Somchit said this was because they lacked funds for business expansion and have poor information flow on incentives and financial assistance provided by the government and other agencies.
“The full growth potential of Penang’s SMEs has not been realised.
“Currently, there is no place for SMEs to access the data on market intelligence, business advisory, information and resources as well as training services to SMEs,” he told reporters after signing the tenancy agreement for the investPenang’s Smart Centre at PSDC yesterday.
Boonler signed on behalf of PSDC while investPenang was represented by its executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon.
Boonler said the idea for the Smart Centre for SMEs was conceived last June and conceptualised during a joint meeting of the Penang Industry Advisory Panel (PIAP) and Penang Services Advisory Panel (PSAP) which was chaired by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in November last year.
Lee said the SMART (Small and Medium Enterprises Market Advisory Resource & Training) centre was an initiative of the state government through investPenang to provide market intelligence, business advisory, information & resources, and Training service to SME in Penang.
“Services to be offered by the centre will include information on financial assistance schemes, mapping of local supply chains, identification of growth areas, business matching and SME development initiatives,” he added.
Motorola Malaysia managing director T.T. Yew said Motorola which was currently working with 50 SMEs in Malaysia, welcome the SMART centre concept as the company would be able to outsource for more product suppliers with SMEs registered with the centre.
“Currently, we don’t know where the 3,000 SMEs are and how to get in touch with them,” said Yew, who is also a member of PIAP.
Also present were co-chairman of PSAP Marco Giovanni Battistotti and PSAP members Datuk Seri Nazir Ariff and Datuk Jerry Chan Fook Sing.
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