To accelerate environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts among small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the government has been urged to allocate RM2bil for one-to-one matching grants. SME Association president Ding Hong Sing said such an incentive would help drive ESG investments, especially among SMEs in the manufacturing and export sectors. He added that convincing businesses to embrace automation remained a challenge, primarily due to financial concerns. National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai also proposed the establishment of a RM2bil ESG Fund.

Source: The Star