TAWAU, May 21 (Bernama) -- SME Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp) has approved grants and loans totalling RM110.7 million as of April this year to help micro, small and medium entrepreneurs in Sabah, said state Assistant Finance Minister Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan.

Tawfiq said the amount was approved to 580 applicants out of the 753 applications received by SME Corp.

"In Sabah there are about 25,000 small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs), and of these 19,000 are micro enterprises with five or fewer employees and about 4,900 small firms, with the remaining 1,000 in the medium category," he told reporters after launching a gathering of micro, small and medium entrepreneurs together with a seminar on halal certification and workshop on packaging and branding here today.

The state government as well as federal agencies like SME Corp are focusing their efforts on helping micro enterprises to grow, he said, citing the Bumiputera Enterprise Enhancement Programme (BEEP) and assistance with getting halal and ISO certification.

Tawfiq said the government is also trying to raise SMEs' contribution to Gross Domestic Product from 33 per cent in 2011 to 40 per cent by 2020.

He also urged SME entrepreneurs not to misuse the loans from the government and to repay their loans, as well as to make full use of the facilities provided by state government agencies such as the Sabah Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), Sawit Kinabalu and Sabah Softwood Bhd.

--BERNAMA