East Coast Entrepreneurs Urged To Participate In Expositions Overseas

KUALA TERENGGANU, July 1 (Bernama) -- Entrepreneurs from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia are urged to actively participate in the expositions overseas in efforts to grow their businesses.

Malaysia External Trade Development Corp Eastern Region director, Hasziah Mohd Yazid, said the participation from entrepreneurs and companies from the East Coast, including Terengganu, in the trade expos overseas was low compared with those from the West Coast.

"The expos, like the 7th China-Asean Expo 2010 (CAEXPO) will provide a good opportunity for local companies to network with others," she told Bernama here Thursday.

Hasziah said this on the sidelines of the seminar to promote CAEXPO 2010, which will be held in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China from Oct 20-24.

Also present were CAEXPO secretariat vice director-general, Gong Qijun and Terengganu Malay Chamber of Commerce head, Datuk Tengku Ismail Tengku Jaafar.

The seminar is the last in the series to promote CAEXPO 2010 after Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

She said the expo would serve as a platform for entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and explore the opportunities available.

Hasziah said China was Malaysia's largest trading partner last year with total trade amounting to US$36.3 billion (US$1=RM3.21).

"The bilateral economic relations have also seen the rapid growth in trade and investment within the last ten years.

"Malaysia's exports to China grew by 12.2 per cent to US$19.1 billion in 2009 while imports from China declined by 9.3 per cent to US$17.2 billion," she said.

She said China continued to be Malaysia largest trading partner.

"Between January and May this year, total exports to China grew by 89.2 per cent to US$19.1 billion compared with the same period last year.

"With the implementation of Asean-China Free Trade Agreement (ACAFTA) from Jan 1 this year where the tariffs of more than 90 per cent of the products were reduced to zero, it is expected that Malaysia's trade with China will continue to grow," she said.

Hasziah said CAEXPO 2010 could be regarded as a symbol of cooperation between Asean members and China not only in trade and investment but also in tourism.

"Last year, 100 Malaysian firms participated in the expo under five industry clusters -- food, beverages, general products by small and medium industries, Malaysia brands and government agencies

"This year we have added a services industry cluster because Malaysia is focusing to promote services exports to China," she said.

She said the Malaysian exhibitors secured deals worth RM204.5 million at the expo last year.

-- BERNAMA

Angkasa To Form Consortium To Strengthen Cooperative Movement

February 27, 2010 22:02 PM

Angkasa To Form Consortium To Strengthen Cooperative Movement

KUANTAN, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- The National Cooperative Organisation of Malaysia (Angkasa) is planning to form a national consortium to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country.

Its deputy president, Datuk Abdul Fattah Abdullah said the consortium would enable cooperatives to work together in bigger projects.

He said if cooperatives were to move on their own, the chances of securing big projects might be lower as their capital and expertise were limited.

"Under a consortium, cooperatives stand a better chance to enter bigger markets like the East Coast Economic Region (ECER)," he told reporters after closing Angkasa's Cooperative Diversification Seminar here on Saturday.

For a start, he said Angkasa liaison offices in the east coast states would set up state-level consortia, comprising all registered cooperatives in their respective states.

So far, he said 65 per cent or 7,200 cooperatives nationwide had registered with Angkasa, with 992 cooperatives in the east coast alone.

-- BERNAMA

Terengganu To Open 'T-Brand Shop' Outlets Next Year

A bit late but still applicable :)
December 22, 2008 17:43 PM

Terengganu To Open 'T-Brand Shop' Outlets Next Year

KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 22 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu state government through its Entrepreneur Development Foundation will set up a chain of T-Brand Shop outlets operating 24 hours nationwide.

State rural, entrepreneur and cooperative development committee chairman Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera said the state government's intention was to position the outlets as a platform to market products from small and medium scale industries such as dried foodstuff.

"We want the T-Brand Shop outlets to market products made by people in the state," he told reporters after officiating a halal product seminar under the Nestle-Nasmec mentor programme here today.

Also present was the Nasmec project manager Chong Yoon Kee.

Mohamed said the state government was now looking for strategic areas to locate the T-Brand Shop outlets and on a trial basis will open the outlets in Kuala Terengganu and Kemaman in April next year.

He also said that the state government will revive Cakna, a subsidiary under the Entrepreneur Development Foundation, next year with the aim of helping the entrepreneur community in Terengganu.

Mohamed said the state government will spend about RM500,000 to set up product collection centres next year in Kemaman, Dungun, Besut and Kuala Terengganu.

The state government has also approved RM40 million for projects under the rural, entrepreneur and cooperative development portfolio next year, he said.

Chong said the seminar was aimed at training and guiding entrepreneurs in the food and drink industries in the East Coast to comply with international standards and procedures.

"Increasing the standard of food and drink products is important to compete in the local and international markets," he said.

-- BERNAMA