MATRADE has enhanced guidelines for its eTRADE Programme for Malaysian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), effective 1 July 2022.
The enhancement is carried out with the objective of encouraging more MSMEs to take part in the Programme that will accelerate the growth of exports through having presence in cross-border eCommerce marketplaces.
As businesses, especially in international trade and exports, continue their upward stride in their path of recovery post-COVID, eCommerce now plays an increasingly important role in sustaining business activities, including export.
The initiative by MATRADE to boost exports through cross-border e-commerce marketplaces started with the introduction of eTrade Programme under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) from 2017 to 2020 where a total of 3,358 MSMEs benefitted with more than RM300 million worth of export revenue generated.
To continue facilitating Malaysian MSMEs in this field, MATRADE has continued with the eTRADE Programme 2.0 under the 12MP starting from March 2021.
Under the programme, Malaysian MSMEs are offered with two schemes of export facilitation initiatives, i.e. Onboarding Scheme worth RM5,000 and Digital Marketing & Training (DMT) Scheme worth RM20,000 for each company, respectively.
Through the Onboarding Scheme, qualified Malaysian MSMEs will be eligible to utilise up to RM5,000 per company in the form of reimbursement for their expenses incurred in onboarding cross-border eCommerce platforms of their choice.
The MSMEs are also allowed to join multiple platforms under this scheme, allowing them to have more options in choosing the eCommerce platforms that best suit their needs and target markets.
For the DMT Scheme, qualified MSMEs will be able to receive up to RM20,000 per company in reimbursement for their expenses in conducting digital marketing activities to promote their products overseas and for eCommerce related training programmes they choose to attend.
“To better streamline our facilitation and to encourage more MSMEs to benefit from the programme, MATRADE has enhanced the guideline for eTRADE Programm 2.0, effective 1 July 2022. Under the revised guideline, the qualification criteria have been updated for both schemes, taking into account the need for MSMEs to diversify its export markets and upscale its exports through presence in various cross border e- commerce marketplaces”, said Mr Abu Bakar Yusof, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Exporters Development), MATRADE.
