SINGAPORE (Feb 28): Singtel has partnered online shopping website Lazada Singapore online shopping website to launch the 99% SME e-marketplace.

It is a dedicated portal hosted on Lazada.sg for local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to advertise their offerings and tap on a wider online customer base.

Bill Chang, CEO of Group Enterprise at Singtel, said, “The 99% SME e-marketplace, which augments our nationwide 99% SME campaign, provides SMEs with an online marketing platform with no additional on-boarding costs to better scale their businesses in the e-commerce space. This is also in line with the Committee on the Future Economy’s call to help SMEs adopt digital technologies.”

In its recent report, the Committee on the Future Economy recommended that SMEs, which form 99% of registered companies in Singapore, be provided expertise and financing support to help them adopt digital technologies. To this end, Singtel has been training SMEs to establish an online presence and adopt digital marketing solutions.

Alexis Lanternier, CEO of Lazada Singapore, said, “As a marketplace, we want to equip our sellers, many of whom are SMEs, with the best tools available in Singapore to help them succeed. We are excited about this partnership and the increased reach which sellers can now access across Singapore. Sellers who advertise will be able to reach over 3.5 million visitors1 monthly.”

In 2015, Singtel, together with DBS and other partners, launched the inaugural 99% SME campaign to encourage the use products and services offered by SMEs. The highlight of the SME campaign is the annual SME Week in October where participating SMEs give customers special offers.