Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Plantersbank Chairman addresses Kuala Lumpur CEO Forum
Plantersbank chairman Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting hailed the recent CEO Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for its focus on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Banking.
In his remarks as opening speaker, Ambassador Tambunting said the conference comes at a most opportune time. He noted the high priority accorded SME promotion in the economic agenda of countries across the Asia Pacific region as well as the emergence of SME Banks.
“In Pakistan, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Philippines there are specific DFIs catering to SME financing and have “branded” themselves as SME Banks,” he pointed out.
Ambassador Tambunting expressed optimism in technological advances, the standardization of business rules, and new financial instruments that have enabled development finance institutions to find common ground in their resolve to support SMEs.
The conference themed “SME Banking: Structures, Dynamics and Challenges” was inaugurated by Malaysia’s Minister of Finance II Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop and hosted by the Association of Development Finance Institutions in Malaysia.
The CEO Forum is one of three projects under the Asia-Pacific wide SME Finance Initiative of the Association of DFIs in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) chaired by Ambassador Tambunting, the ADFIM and the Geneva-based International Trade Center.
The initiatives include the SMEFI.com Knowledge Net on SME Finance and the SME Center for Training and Consultancy Services which will be administered by Plantersbank and its PDB-FMO Development Center.
