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38 EXIM BANK MALAYSIA ANNUAL REPORT 2022

PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REVIEW

Our targeted financing portfolio is aligned strategically to five key sectors
STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENTS IN FY2022 identified under the National Investment Aspirations (NIA) initiative.
The sectors are electrical and electronics, pharmaceutical, digital economy,
Egypt & IsDB Member Nations aerospace and chemicals – high impact industries that can cascade holistic
benefits, from attracting more foreign investments to creating quality and
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) had high-skilled employment opportunities for locals, and strengthening the
organised the Private Sector Forum in Egypt country’s competitiveness.
for its members, which provided a good
opportunity for EXIM Bank to promote In the context of Islamic finance, we have clarified our stance of staying
our “Islamic First” financing. The four-day true to our mandate and established an Islamic-first policy, whereby Shariah
forum provided a unique platform for the compliant suite of solutions will be offered first to help our customers
Bank to network and establish business execute projects.
relations and partnerships with other
leading representatives and stakeholders A fresh commitment is also being made to our takaful and insurance
from the business community by sharing business to complete our service offerings, as per our mandated role.
related experiences, success stories and Last but not least, we are tracking the performance of our regional offices
best practices, while jointly exploring in Penang, Kuching and Johor and encouraging further outreach to their
investment and trade opportunities offered local business communities. Targets have been imposed for every initiative
by member countries. outlined for greater clarity and impetus.
Asia
ACCELERATINg DIgITAL CAPABILITIES
The highlight for the year was EXIM Bank
being given the honour to organise the The post pandemic phase has changed lifestyle expectations and demands,
27th Annual Meeting of Asian EXIM Banks and realised a new norm of business operations. Digitalisation is the new
Forum (AEBF), hosting 40 delegates from way of life as 90% of transactions are now online-based. FY2023 sets a new
11 member countries representing our peer stage for the Bank to re-strategise and rebuild our business by adopting
banks and international trade organisations digitalisation to create new platforms for financing. We recognise that to
in Asia. The three-day event themed date, we have lagged on this front and thus, accelerating our digital journey
“EXIM Banks’ Role in Facilitating is of utmost priority.
Sustainable & Resilient Business Growth
and Partnerships Post Pandemic” convened A year-long strategic plan was launched to assess current gaps and put
the delegates to undertake a collaborative in place clear targets to ramp up digital readiness. The implementation
effort in mitigating the challenges of the of a core banking system that can deliver well within today’s rapidly
post-pandemic economy. It proved to be a escalating digital landscape is a critical step forward. We have identified
pertinent and crucial forum for members the specifications and capabilities we want and are set to fortify our
of the EXIM community to deliberate and infrastructure with the appointment of the right vendor in 2023.
evolve to new possibilities in facilitating
sustainable and resilient business growth ADVANCINg SuSTAINABLE STRENgTHS
via collaborations. These partnerships and
collaborations can continue to grow in Globally, the sustainability of business products and services and their
increasing our cooperation post-pandemic Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) impacts are now of key
and play a much more crucial role in significance. Exporters must invest in developing strategies that promote
tackling global issues such as climate change and adopt ESG principles in their production process and global supply
and addressing the funding gap.
chains to meet changing market requirements.
EXIM Bank has initiated a step to develop an ESG framework in order to
DRIVINg gROWTH PRuDENTLY evaluate all financing proposals in the light of ESG. This framework will be
our anchor to measure the impacts of our financing projects.
Moving forward, we have a single-minded focus
on portfolio growth and mix. This approach It is imperative that the Bank internalises the measurement of ESG impacts
is underscored by mindfulness that we have in all we do. Steps taken in this regard include everything from evaluating
limited resources and these must be optimised our proposals, business governance and operations, including investments
by channelling them to the right beneficiaries. in corporate social responsibility (CSR).
We are making prudent moves on this front
through enhanced processes to select the More details on our CSR can be found on page 46.
most deserving companies and entrepreneurs.
Supporting those who possess better potential
for success is in line with our aspiration to grow
global and regional champions.