Exim Bank confident of disbursing RM5 Bln loan yhis year

Export- Import Bank of Malaysia Bhd (Exim Bank) is confident of disbursing RM5 billion in loans this year, judging from the more than RM3 billion already approved for disbursement as at end-June.

Managing Director/Chief executive Officer Datuk Adissadikin Ali said the RM5 billion target was more than achievable.

"We are half-way there to achieve the target and hope things will move faster in the second half of the year," he said at a breaking fast function with 43 orphans from Rumah Kebajikan Baitul Hidayah in Puchong, Selangor, on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Adissadikin also said the bank had set aside RM180 million to assist entrepreneurs to venture into the restaurant business abroad but the take up rate was discouraging as only RM20 million has been disbursed so far.

"Malaysians should grab this opportunity. The restaurants can be located anywhere in the world for any kind of cuisine as long as it has a Malaysian identity," he said.

On the bank's non-performing loans (NPLs), he said it had been declining since 2010 and Exim Bank was on track to reduce its NPLs to single-digit this year.

During the event, the bank also presented a cheque for more than RM5,000 to the home for its upkeep.