SINGAPORE - When a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) decides to take its first step outside the country, it will look for a bank where it can open a business account that offers management of its cash flows, both within the new jurisdiction and across the border.

For a Singaporean SME, that bank would typically be one of the three big ones - DBS, OCBC or UOB. Hence, for the Government's internationalisation push to succeed, the readiness of these banks to serve cross-border business expansion is crucial.