Ogos 2019
Trade With Singapore, The Challenge To Meet The Need For Volume, Standard: CM
KUCHING, Sat: The Sarawak business community must be able to live up to the expectation of their Singapore counterparts as the trade and business ties with the Island Republic are being enhanced, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg said yesterday.
Sarawak’s production of goods destined for export to Singapore had to be in volumes large enough to be economically viable, the Chief Minister told a few hundreds Sarawak entrepreneurs during an unscheduled pep talk at the end of the inaugural Sarawak-Singapore Business Forum and Expo that was held at the Suntec Convention Centre in Singapore.
The one-day programme was held in conjunction with the official opening of the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office (STATOS) in Singapore located at Robinson Road in the heart of Singapore’s business district. A forum with a gathering of a few hundreds Sarawak’s entrepreneurs and members of the Singapore business community under the wings of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation.
The morning’s programme also featured exchanges of MOUs and MOAs between both sides and capped with a forum where the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues fielded questions and queries from Singapore entrepreneurs.
Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Zohari said the participating Singapore businessmen clearly indicated during the forum that they needed volume and this was a challenge that Sarawak had to accept confidently, the agricultural sector in particular.
“What I fear is that we are not able to cater to the volumes that they need. “Therefore, you must be passionate about the fulfilling the needs of Singapore’s market as I and my cabinet colleagues are passionate about exploring markets and develop business ties with Singapore,” the Chief Minister said.
State officials said today’s event saw deals being closed for orders worth RM10 million for the export of mainly fruits and furniture to Singapore.
The Chief Minister pointed that the other factor that Sarawak had to address was the question of compliance with Singapore’s standard of quality. He said production especially of food items had to comply with Singapore’s standard if they were to be accepted in the market there.
However, he was optimistic that the issue of compliance could be overcome with the help of Singapore Business Federation who were willing to offer the service of auditing the processes of production on site.
“A successful audit would qualify local entrepreneurs with a certain certification that would enable them to enter the market. “If we were able to meet Singapore’s standard then I think we can meet the standards of other countries in this region and beyond,” he said.
He pointed out that the balance of trade with Singapore was in favour of the island state and the newly-enhanced relationship should present the opportunity for Sarawak to close the gap with more aggressive production of goods, food items in particular.
Statistics shows that Singapore contributed about 2% of Sarawak’s total trade amounting to USD35.6 billion in 2018.
Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Zohari said next Sarawak would turn to Pontianak in Kalimantan as the location of its next trade and tourism office.
He expressed his belief that the proposed relocation of Indonesia’s capital to Kalimantan would be a boon to Sarawak’s economy that it must take advantage of, especially in food production.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister also met with the members of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation led by the President, Douglas Foo in a closed-door session at the same venue.
Accompanying the Chief Minister at the meeting were Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, who is also the Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Acting State Secretary, Datu Jaul Samion and the Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore, Dato’ Zainol Rahim Zainuddin.
Sumber dari: Sarawakku