HCM City (VNA) – The United Overseas Bank (UOB)
has partnered with the Foreign Trade University (FTU) in Vietnam to launch the
finance industry’s first tertiary education programme designed for bankers that
serve small businesses.
Speaking at a press conference held on October 25 in the
city, Harry Loh, country manager of UOB’s HCM City branch, said that small- and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) formed the backbone of Vietnam’s economy,
accounting for 97 percent of the country’s businesses.
“SMEs are among the most optimistic about their growth prospects within Asia
Pacific,” he added.
In addition, four out of five of SMEs sought external finance last year to help
them take advantage of business opportunities, according to the CPA Australia
Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey 2016 – Market Summary: Vietnam.
As SMEs manage and grow their business, they need to navigate complex areas
such as business planning, cash-flow management and international trade risks.
The UOB-FTU Banker’s Executive Certificate Programme combines classroom-based
study in credit and risk management, trade financing and regional regulatory
frameworks, with practical skills training such as best practices for customer
onboarding.
Upon completion of the programme, UOB bankers will be better equipped to help
SMEs with their business needs and to overcome the challenges they may face.
Loh also said that UOB was committed to ensuring its bankers have in-depth
knowledge and skills required to support the business growth ambitions of its
customers.
“We expect that more Vietnamese SMEs will pursue business opportunities within
the region as they tap the economic benefits arising from the ASEAN Economic
Community,” he said.
“As such, their needs will have to be supported by bankers who possess
specialist skills and who understand what it takes to succeed in doing business
across borders, whether it is in managing foreign exchange risks or navigating
the regulatory landscape in different markets,” he added.
Associate Prof. Nguyen Xuan Minh, director of the FTU HCM City Campus, said the
joint training programme would address the increasing demand for skilled
professionals in the banking sector.
The programme is specifically designed to improve the skills of bankers as they
support Vietnam’s SMEs to seize regional growth opportunities, he said.
Headquartered in Singapore, UOB has a global network of more than 500 offices
in 19 countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America.-VNA