RM12.7b BUSINESS LEADS GENERATED AT ASTANA EXPO
Total figure surpasses RM1b initial target
MALAYSIA generated a total of RM12.7 billion in business leads with companies based in Kazakhstan, China and Switzerland at Astana Expo 2017.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said the total figure from the potential trade and investment was garnered from 14 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) valued at RM5.05 billion and business-matching sessions that recorded potential businesses valued at RM7.6 billion.
“This has surpassed the RM1 billion initial trade and investment target set for the expo. I am confident that these MoUs will take off, especially with the full support given by both governments of Malaysia and Kazakhstan,” he said after the Malaysia-Kazakhstan Energy Business Forum on Wednesday.
The MoUs cover the areas of green technology cooperation, education, oil and gas (O&G), innovation, water and wastewater and entrepreneurship.
Ongkili said there were opportunities for Malaysian firms to venture into the O&G, Islamic green financing industries as well as the renewable energy sector in Kazakhstan.
“The expo has served as a platform for Malaysia to engage with Kazakhstan and strengthen our relationship. I am confident that we will continue to work together even after the expo ends.”
One of the areas that Malaysia and Kazakhstan will work together is to achieve mutually equivalent renewable energy generation mix target of 50 per cent by 2050.
In order to realise the goal, he said Malaysia had rolled out programmes such as the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2016-2025 to jumpstart energyefficient culture in the country.
The Malaysian pavilion at the expo recorded a total number of 618,256 visitors as of Tuesday.
Ongkili said the pavilion was one of the most visited during the expo and most active for business programmes.
“We clearly reaffirm our commitment to powering green growth and showcasing that renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable practices must work in unison to create a green future,” he added.