Programmes Planned To Intensify Trade Promotions Abroad, Says Minister

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- The International Trade and Industry Ministry will intensify trade and investment promotions abroad through 389 programmes drawn up for this year, its minister, Mustapa Mohamed, said on Thursday. He said the move was to boost Malaysia's exports two fold by 2015. The promotions entailed 25 sectors including information and communications technology, electrical and electronics, agro-based products and healthcare services, he said. Also on the list are education, tourism, machinery and tools and transport apparatus, he said. The targeted countries are China, India, the United States, Japan, European Union, Middle East, Africa and Latin American countries, he said. Attention would also be given to countries which have signed free trade agreements with Malaysia, he told reporters after chairing the international trade promotions coordinating committee meeting here. Mustapa said Malaysia's exports, having posted seven to eight per cent growth last year, are slated to expand between five per cent and seven per cent this year. Between January and October last year, Malaysia's exports posted 9.1 per cent growth vis-a-vis 15.6 per cent in 2010, he said. Mustapa said his ministry would also embark on a 1Malaysia promotions in Oman by end-April as a new approach to promote goods and services for the export market. He said Malaysian Services Exhibition 2012 would be held in Doha, Qatar, between April 30 and May 3. "We will also bring along top management teams from Islamic banking, education sector, healthcare services, construction and related services. "We will go as one team to secure greater impact on our promotional initiatives," he said. Asked whether these initiatives can meet the total trade target expected to grow between five and seven per cent this year, Mustapa said these efforts could sustain the growth rate but "of course, anything beyond seven per cent is a bonus for us." "The five to seven per cent trade growth is based on the current world economic climate. The global economy is still growing but at a slower pace as compared to the growth in 2010 and last year," he said. Total trade registered 8.8 per cent growth between January and October and seven to eight per cent for the whole year last year, he added. Trade volume grew 18.3 per cent in 2010. -- BERNAMA Malaysia