Coffee industry players urged to work with ministry
KOTA KINABALU: Assistant Trade and Industry Minister Ben Chong urged industry players to develop coffee with the ministry in Sabah.
Chong said coffee is an important contributor to Sabah’s economy as the industry that spans from planting coffee to manufacturing into end products and making and serving coffee beverages in outlets generate over RM250 million, creates thousands of job opportunities and local value chain.
“In keeping with my ministry’s objective to encourage entrepreneurship through industrialization, we have incubator programs, providing guidance and training locals in branching out into business,” said Chong at the two-day Borneo Coffee Festival 2018 launching ceremony at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall here yesterday.
“I urge Sabah coffee industry players from all aspects of the value chain to work together with our ministry to grow the industry together, for the betterment of Sabah.
“My ministry has industry upgrade programs such as Sirim-Fraunhofer program for manufacturing industrialization purpose, we have mentoring program that we conduct in conjunction with FSI for SMIs to SMEs (Small Medium Industries to Small Medium Enterprises) to upgrade their soft skills such as marketing, packaging etc,” he revealed, adding that the ministry supports local enterprises to participate in regional and international trade shows to widen trade linkages.
Sabah’s coffee marketplace today is filled with a variety of coffee products such as kopi-o, instant coffee, specialty coffee, coffee body scrub and soap and other peripheral coffee products and services.
Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI) president Datuk Ir Chong Hon Len, FSI honorary life president Datuk Seri Panglima Wong Khen Thau, Trade and Industry ministry Tseu Kei Yue, Borneo Coffee Alliance chairman and Borneo Coffee Festival 2018 organizing chairman Jackz Lee were also at the ceremony.