1,356 Sarawak entrepreneurs benefit from participation in various trade fairs – Minister
A TOTAL of 1,356 entrepreneurs in Sarawak have received support and assistance from the Ministry of International Trade and E- Commerce to participate in various trade fairs, where they get to promote their products and services.
According to minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, the initiative by his ministry is meant to encourage more local products to go global.
“We are working closely with the relevant government agencies, trade and industry associations as well as chambers of commerce to identify qualified entrepreneurs to be given the incentives.
“We are also working closely with federal agencies such as Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation ( Matrade), which provides various initiatives to promote international trade namely through Market Development Grants ( MDG), eTRADE and GoEx programmes.
“These programmes have benefitted 17 local entrepreneurs in 2018,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the DUN sitting yesterday.
The Bawang Assan assemblyman also pointed out that under its ‘Mid-Tier Programme’, Matrade is facilitating mid- tier companies ( MTCs) by providing customised programmes to expand these MTCs’ reach into high-potential markets.
“The MTCs in Malaysia are defined as companies with annual revenues between RM50 million and RM500 million in the manufacturing sector, and between RM20 million and RM500 million in the services sector.
“The programme has supported eight Sarawak companies through ‘go-to’ market access and global
We are also working closely with federal agencies such as Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), which provides various initiatives to promote international trade namely through Market Development Grants (MDG), eTRADE and Go-Ex programmes. These programmes have benefitted 17 local entrepreneurs in 2018. Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, International Trade and E-Commerce Minister
expansion opportunities.”
In the area of e- commerce, Wong said his ministry also provides support and assistance to individuals, entrepreneurs, companies, business chambers and associations for e- commerce development in Sarawak.
“The support and assistance are given to those interested to start online business platforms and applications, or to provide technical training on ecommerce.
“As at October 2018, there are 410 recipients who benefited from this initiative.”
Wong said in the quest to develop the e- commerce community in Sarawak, his ministry is also working with relevant state and federal government agencies such as Matrade, Sarawak Multimedia Authority ( SMA), Tabung Economy Gagasan Anak Bumiputera Sarawak ( Tegas), and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation ( MDEC), which have implemented e- commerce programmes such as the ‘Agro Bazaar Online’, ‘eUsahawan Desa’, ‘eTrade’, ‘eRezeki’, ‘Celik IT Penuh Kocek’ and ‘My Shop 9’.
“These programmes have received positive feedback from the participants, who have also informed my ministry that the programmes have not only increased their knowledge and skills in e- commerce, but more importantly they have enabled them to increase their sales and incomes.
“Some have seen an upward trend of business up to 30 per cent after a few weeks of on-boarding online.”
Wong informed the august House that in view of the overwhelming demand for e- commerce training and development, his ministry has prepared a comprehensive plan to intensify efforts in training more local entrepreneurs in online business next year.
“We will continue to work closely with the relevant government agencies and industry players to increase the understanding and application of e-commerce in both the urban and rural areas.
“We are also planning to move e-commerce activities in the state up the value chain to explore bigger markets.”