^{From Left:
Takeru Agawa (Chief Financial Officer, Intercontinental Specialty Fats)
Takashi Ishigami (Chief Executive Officer, Intercontinental specialty Fats)
Tetsuya Kainaka (President / Chief Executive Officer, SMBC Malaysia)
Shunichiro Tanaka (Senior VP and Head Japanese Corporate Department, SMBC Malaysia)​}


KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- SMBC Malaysia (“SMBCMY”) has granted a JPY900 million Environment Assessment Loan (“eco-loan”) facility to Intercontinental Specialty Fats Sdn Bhd (“ISF”), a manufacturer of premium grade specialty fats & oils with a strong focus in the chocolate and chocolate confectionery segments.
 
Eco-loans are offered to corporations that have incorporated sustainable practises into its eco-management framework. After assessment by an external auditor, successful corporations will be given a rating. ISF had obtained a Gold+ rating which indicates that it proactively implements environmental and sustainable initiatives based on company-wide environmental management and has a basic understanding of environmental and sustainable issues in relation to its business.
 
At a signing ceremony held to formalise the facility between SMBCMY and ISF, President & Chief Executive Officer of SMBCMY, Mr Tetsuya Kainaka said, “The Malaysian Government have been encouraging companies to incorporate sustainable practises into their respective eco-management framework. We, in turn, at SMBCMY support this effort of the Malaysian Government by offering eco-loans to corporations that have made the leap to become eco-friendly.
 
“Companies that have successfully obtained eco-loans can announce to its stakeholders that it is a sustainable organization with sound eco-management practices in place. So it is good public relations for a company to obtain an eco-loan,” Kainaka explained.
 
SMBCMY offered its first eco-loan in 2012 and to date, approximately RM78.0 million worth of facilities have been offered to Japanese companies operating in Malaysia.
 
“In Malaysia, awareness about eco-loans is currently prevalent amongst Japanese companies compared to Malaysian companies. Therefore, we will work closely with the Malaysian government to create more awareness about eco-loans amongst the latter,” said Kainaka.
 
About Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (“SMBC”) was established in April 2001 through the merger of two leading banks of The Sakura Bank, Ltd and The Sumitomo Bank, Ltd.

SMBC is one of the largest banks in Japan, and works with other companies within the Group to provide a comprehensive suite of financial services to clients.
 
About Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Malaysia Berhad
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Malaysia Berhad (SMBCMY) is a public limited company incorporated and domiciled in Malaysia operating under a full banking license awarded by Bank Negara Malaysia in 2010 and commenced its business in April 2011. The Bank is principally engaged in full-fledged wholesale and institutional banking and its related financial services. As at 31 March 2019, the total assets of the Bank amounted to RM19.4bil.
 
The immediate and ultimate owners of the Bank are Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. respectively. Both companies are incorporated in Japan.

Source: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Malaysia Berhad

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Julie Lim
Planning Department
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Malaysia Berhad
Tel: +603-2176 1410 / +6016-370 5300
Fax: +603-2165 1599
Email: julie_lim@my.smbc.co.jp 

--BERNAMA