The SMI Association of Malaysia, recognising the importance of contributions from small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to the economy, will organise the National SME Economic Transformation Conference 2010 on September 30 to help SMEs transform the way they do business.

This year's theme is "Transforming SMEs, Moving Up the Value Chain".

National president of SMI Association, Chua Tiam Wee, said the conference will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre in conjunction with the SMI 1-Stop Solution Exhibition 2010 (SMIOSS 2010) from September 30 to October 2.

"Through this transformation process, we hope our SMEs will be able to increase their contributions to the gross domestic product to 50-60 per cent in 2020 as in the developed nations.

"With SMEs targeted by the government to be growth drivers of private domestic investment, with a targeted 12.8 per cent annual growth, improving the access and availability of financing for SMEs' growth is of great importance," he said at a media launch on the two-day conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Chua said the association would also organise the National SME Conference 2010 on October 1 to provide the latest information on the new government and banking institutions' funding schemes such as working capital guarantee scheme, new soft loans and venture capital funds.

He said the conference would also help SMEs have better insights and tips on how to equip themselves to successfully secure their financing needs.

The organising committee expects to to attract at least 500 participants in each of the two-day conferences while for the SMIOSS exhibition, it targets 280 exhibitors with at least 30 per cent of them from overseas and 15,000 trade visitors.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of Finance, Senator Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai, who opened the media launch, said the government has always facilitated a pro-business environment and export-led economy as the main drivers of growth.

He said the government, via Bank Negara Malaysia and SME Corp, has embarked on various SME development programmes and schemes that encompass capacity building, financial assistance, market development initiatives and facilitation of export and brand development.