Join forces to establish a ‘SME Friends Help Center’ to create a hub to support SMEs in the lower northern region in a complete cycle.

SME Bank joins hands with Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University to establish a 'SME Friends Assistance Center' to create a hub to support SMEs in the lower northern region in a comprehensive manner. Mr. Sittikorn Direksunthon, Director and General Manager of the Small Industry Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Asst. Prof. Dr. Chumpol Semakan, President of Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University (PIBRU), to establish the 'TCG-PIBRU SME Friends Help Center' as a center for developing and assisting SME entrepreneurs in the lower northern region, as well as developing students into startups and developing university personnel to become consultants to assist SME entrepreneurs, along with Ms. Dusida Thapwong, Senior Deputy General Manager of Channel Management and Entrepreneur Development, TCG, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Prasitchai Narakorn, Dean of the Faculty of Management Science, PIBRU, on September 6, 2024 at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University. Mr. Sitthikorn revealed that t his cooperation is a combination of the strengths of both agencies to increase efficiency in helping SMEs in the lower northern region. TCG will use its expertise in finance and expertise as a consultant of the SME Financial Advisory Center (TCG FA Center) to help entrepreneurs in the Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University network. The 'TCG-MRPS SME Friend Help Center' will act as a hub to provide knowledge and enhance liquidity for entrepreneurs to access loans more easily through the guarantee mechanism of TCG. Currently, TCG has a Financial Advisory Center, Lower Northern Region Office, covering 10 provinces: Phitsanulok, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Tak, Phetchabun, Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Chainat, ready to provide financial and business management consulting, access to credit, debt resolution, and financial knowledge for free! No expenses. In addition, there is a PGS 11 guarantee project, "TCCG SMEs Sustainable", with a guarantee limit of 50 billion baht, supporting the assistance of all SME entrepreneurs to access credit more easily. Free! Guarantee fee for the first 2-4 years, guarantee limit starting from 10,000 baht up to 40 million baht. SME entrepreneurs who are interested in joining the PGS 11 loan guarantee project 'GSB SMEs Sustainable' can contact the Lower Northern Region Office or register at LINE OA: @tcgfirst with financial health check services and booking an appointment for financial consultation for free! No charge. The goals of this collaboration will cover 3 areas: 1. Help SMEs access funding sources more easily through the guarantee mechanism of SME Bank. 2. Develop students to have knowledge in business operations, step into Startup by creating experience through internships with entrepreneurs in the network of the lower northern region, resulting in knowledge exchange between SME entrepreneurs and students. 3. Enhance the potential of MRU personnel to create local consultants to help local entrepreneurs by the team and experts from SME Financial Advisory Center of SME Bank. 'The SME Bank aims to help all groups of SME entrepreneurs, including developing students and the new generation to become potential startups, which will be an important force driving the economy in the future. This is the origin of the cooperation with Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, an educational institution with potential in both personnel production and the creation of new entrepreneurs to return to develop their hometowns and the country, as well as having a guideline to bring knowledge from the university to develop entrepreneurs in the area,' said Mr. Sitthikorn. Asst. Prof. Dr. Chumpol said that MRU is an educational institution that focuses on developing technology and promoting innovation and developing entrepreneurs. We are very pleased to collaborate with SME Bank this time to develop SME entrepreneurs in the university network to have knowledge in marketing and finance, increasing access to credit more easily, which meets the university's policy to be a hub for taking care of SME entr epreneurs in the lower northern provinces. The goal is to make the 'SME Friends Help Center, BSS-MRPS' a central agency that provides comprehensive assistance to SME entrepreneurs in various aspects by gathering all relevant agencies to help entrepreneurs in one place to increase efficiency in helping SMEs and drive the economy in the lower northern region to grow even more. - 116 Thai News Agency Source: Thai News Agency