New partnership gives Sarawak transport players digital visibility
A collaboration between Social Community Technology ( Socoe) and Sarawak Lorries Transport Association will provide online presence for truck and carriage companies in the state.
This collaboration strives to elevate transportation services to better connect and improve through this digital platform.
Through Socoe’s digital efforts, the lorry association which has more than 400 members wil l now be able to stay connected via the platform which displays all of their business information as wel l as al low members to interact with each other online.
Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing said this venture makes things easier for his ministry especial ly in monitoring industry players and hastening the process of ident i f ing any problems or issues that needed to be resolved quickly.
“Thank you to Socoe for providing this platform. It is my hope that other business communities in Sarawak will come in and use this platform,” said Jemut in his speech during the digitising ceremony on Tuesday night.
“When we have so many things going around in Sarawak, it is easier for us to know what are the problems that the community has.
“We have to move on. Business changes – if we don’t change, we will be left behind.”
Meanwhile, Socoe founder and chief executive officer Samuel Wong said Socoe’s initiatives were in line with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s push towards digital economy.
Wong said by categorising according to industry, groups and communities, digital plat forms can allow the community to communicate their personal and commercial needs effectively.
“We have so much quality and cost effective goods and services to offer which are not accessible due to this communication gap – for example, businesses find it difficult to source for trucks to move their large goods and vice versa.”
“With the rise of digital economy, things are moving very quickly. It is no longer just about bui lding wal ls – it is about bui lding communities with effective communication.
“Sarawakians have the right mindset. There is a big gap for effective communication between the people.
“The first step is bringing everyone onto the digital platform before we can move forward.”
Countries such as Korea, Russia, New Zealand and the US, he said, are all using different methods of execution to bring their citizens onto the platform.
“We are cr e a t i n g communities to begin with so we can group like minded people of the same industry together – in order to solve issues and provide added value well.”
Also present during the launch were SLTA chairman Phur Pui Ann and RH Vision managing director Peter Wong.
Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd ( Hibiscus Petroleum) announced a profit after tax (PAT) for the nine-month period ended 31 March 2018 (9MFY18) of RM105 million, up eight per cent from RM97.4 million achieved in the corresponding period ended March 31, 2017.
The group in a statement also reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of RM156.9 million for 9MFY18, an increase of 46 per cent compared to RM107.5 million in 9MFY17.
The growth in PAT and EBITDA was driven by the fair value gain upon completion of the acquisition of the 2011 North Sabah Enhanced Oil Recovery Production Sharing Contract on March 31, 2018, as well as earnings from crude oil production from its North Sea offshore oilfields.