Matrade bags ITC World Trade Promotion award for halal showcase

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) was named the winner of best use of information technology category at the 2022 World Trade Promotion Awards during the World Trade Promotion Organisations (WTPO) Conference and Awards held in Accra, Ghana recently.

The awards were organised by the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the United Nations.

In a statement, ITC said Matrade joined trade organisations from Jamaica and Zimbabwe as this year’s winners for launching innovative programmes in their respective countries that help small firms benefit from trade opportunities.

Matrade was adjudged the winner for its 17th edition of the Malaysia International Halal Showcase – Virtual Edition initiative.

“By digitizing the Malaysia International Halal Showcase in 2021, small and medium enterprise (SME) exports continued to grow in the halal industry despite Covid-19 disruptions.

“The virtual showcase opened up new markets and made business connections more convenient and costeffective,” ITC said.

Besides Matrade, the Jamaica Promotions Organization (Jampro) lifted an award for best use of a partnership prize for its Export Max III initiative that helped the export capacity of 50 SMEs grow through training, mentorship pairings and group financing.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Zimtrade was named the winner of best initiative for inclusive and sustainable trade for its Eagle’s Nest Youth Export Incubator initiative, a reality TV contest for young entrepreneurs that brought national awareness for exports.

“Zimtrade found a creative approach to reach the youths – where 62 per cent of the population are younger than 25 years old. About 70 000 viewers followed the series, with continued access to the 13 episodes on social media,” ITC said. — Bernama