SME Corp targets 1,500 new SMEs
Published on: Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Kuala Lumpur: SME Corp Malaysia is targeting 1,500 new small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) to join the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) platform this year.Chief Executive Officer Datuk Hafsah Hashim said the number is in addition to the 50,000 Malaysian SMEs who currently hold active accounts on the Alibaba e-commerce platform."Primarily, what we are looking for are SMEs with export capabilities and able to participate, take advantage of the duty free zone (of DFTZ) to export products through the Alibaba platform," she told reporters at the Asia Pacific Economic Region Cross Border E-commerce Conference here, today.ADVERTISEMENT f the 50,000 active accounts, Hafsah said 1,000 held a gold account and this number is expected to increase with the 1,500 new account users."This is where, SME Corp and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will work together in identifying companies that are ready to not only export products , but also services through the Alibaba platform," she added.For next year, Hafsah said SME Corp will target 8,000 new SMEs to join the DFTZ platform.Meanwhile, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said in his speech at the event, that the DFTZ would be the first digital free trade zone of its kind outside China.ADVERTISEMENT It is, he added, set to boost the growth of cross-border e-commerce by creating access into China"s market.His speech was read by Second Deputy International Trade Minister, Datuk Chua Tee Yong.
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"As we foresee vast opportunities to be derived from the establishment of the DFTZ, it is our aim to ensure Malaysian SMEs also benefit from it."For this, MITI through SME Corp, will closely work with the Malaysia Digital Economic Corporation to facilitate the SMEs in undertaking cross-border trade via the DFTZ," he said.-AFP