MATRADE To Produce 200 New Exporters By 2015

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has set a target to produce 200 new exporters through the Bumiputera Exporters Development Programme (BEDP) and the Women Exporters Development Programme (WEDP) by 2015. MATRADE Deputy Chief Executive Officer Zakaria Kamarudin said the focus was on small and medium scale entrepreneurs whose products and services could be developed further and accepted by the market. "Hopefully, this can increase the contribution of small and medium industry to the nation's exports which currently account for less than 20 percent of total exports," he told reporters at the graduation ceremony of ten BEDP and nine WEDP companies for the 2008/2010 session here on Wednesday. Zakaria said MATRADE was hopeful that the government would increase the allocation for the programmes to RM30 million annually from RM5 million presently so that it could involve more participants. MATRADE launched the BEDP in 2003 and the WEDP in 2005 to help bumiputera and women entrepreneurs realise their potential at the global level. (US$1=RM3.16) -- BERNAMA Malaysia