E-commerce platforms break boundaries for Sarawak-made products
KUCHING: E-commerce platforms such as Shopee breaks geographical boundaries for the state by putting the spotlight on quality Sarawakmade products, said the Ministry of International Trade and E-Commerce (MITeC) Sarawak.
This was said during a Shopee University Workshop yesterday organised to help Sarawakian business owners by providing an avenue for them to learn, start and grow their business on the platform.
“The collabaration of MITeC Sarawak with Shopee Malayisa helps to bring MITeC a step closer to its aim to embrace digitalisation for the growth of Sarawak’s economy,” Permanent Secretary Kameri Affandi said in his opening speech.
The speech was read by Principal Assistant Secretary Awang Putrayusrie Awang Redzuan
“Through this partnership, local business owners can tap on (Shopee’s) 16 million user base to sell and market their products through the platform provided.”
The Shopee University workshop in Kuching marked the first of many collaborations with MITeC Sarawak as part of its efforts to support MITeC’s aim to embrace digitalisation for the growth of Sarawak’s economy.
“E-commerce is a great platform for us as a state to break geographical boundaries by putting the spotlight on all the quality Sarawak-made prodcuts we have, allowing us to also showcase our pride outside the state,” Kameri said.
“Our state is rich with highlysought after unique products such as our famous kek lapis, delicious black and white pepper, wood-based and rattan products and more which cannot be found anywhere else. By making them available on Shopee, buyers from anywhere in the world no longer need to wait till their next trip to Kuching to get these items.
“Meanwhile, in terms of socio-economic development, the knowledge on e-commerce and necessary skills to digitise businesses can bring improvements to the lives of Sarawakians as this will allow them to have multiple streams of income. As more Malaysians are shopping online, we want to be able to educate and empower ourlocal sellers to capitalise on the booming ecommerce trend.”
Launched in 2016, Shopee University consists of a series of workshops in three levels – beginners, intermediate and advanced, and is held across the country where around 6,000 sellers have participated.
To make it accessible for sellers to continuously upskill themselves, Shopee University has recently launched a series of online tutorials where they can educate themselves in the comfort of their own home or on-the-go through on-demand content.
“It is our mandate to improve the ecosystem of the marketplace by providing a platform for sellers to tap into the best of online retail and be part of the rapid e-commerce growth,” Shopee Malaysia marketing lead Marianne Chuo said.
“Shopee University is an initiative to aid local entrepreneurs, particularly small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) and microbusinesses, to succeed online so as to ensure that they are not left behind in our increasingly digital economy.”
Yesterday, an additional 50 business owners in Kuching had the opportunity to learn and equip themselves with the knowledge of selling their products on Shopee during the workshop.