Multinationals urged to help SMEs
(right) watching a demonstration of making at the
in Ayer Keroh, Malacca, yesterday. Pic by Khairunisah Lokman MALACCA: The International Trade and Industry Ministry is calling on multinational companies to come up with a specific agenda to help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the yearly One District, One Industry (SDSI) showcase.
Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said this would ensure that multinational companies did not merely dominate the market, but also helped to empower local SMEs.
“The SDSI showcase programme this year seeks to empower local SMEs, whereby several multinational companies have a specific agenda to assist local suppliers and vendors. For instance, we have Coca-Coca Malaysia seeking to empower women entrepreneurs by 2020, besides assisting small entrepreneurs in rural areas.
“Nestle Malaysia has also trained more than 400 SMEs nationwide on the management and production of halal products while Honda Malaysia has trained 107 local automotive vendors,” he said at the SDSI showcase programme at the Malacca International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh here yesterday.
Mustapa said Infineon Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd and Daikin Malaysia were also taking part in this year’s SDSI programme and urged more multinational companies to do so.
He said the ministry had also succeeded in helping SMEs through business-matching sessions with a RM4.33 million increase in sales contracts recorded this year compared with last year. He said this was only one of the initiatives carried out in collaboration with supermarkets and local company buyers to help SMEs.
“There is an increment from RM6.37 million in sales contracts last year to RM10.7 million this year.
“This shows that business-matching with eight hypermarkets has produced fruit in increasing the sales of local SME products.”
Mustapa said the SDSI programme, which was in its 11th edition this year, continued to emphasise marketing local products globally via the International Sourcing Programme.
“Through the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation we ensure that more SMEs are able to penetrate the global market. Our foreign buyers from Saudi Arabia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea have recorded sales of RM7.4 million this year.”
Present were Mustapa’s deputy Datuk Ahmad Maslan and Malacca Agriculture and Entrepreneur Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasan Abdul Rahman.