KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) will streamline its investment promotion agencies (IPAs), making  them more focused on their objective of attracting investments.

Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said apart from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) as the leader in attracting investments to Malaysia, there are also IPAs for economic corridors such as the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), East Coast Economic Region (ECER), North Coast Economic Region (ECER), Iskandar Malaysia as well as Greater KL’s InvestKL.

“We want to recalibrate their efforts to make them more focused and able to  withstand the challenging economic environment especially this year,” he told reporters after the launch of the MITI Report 2015 here yesterday.

The report puts together all the activities and initiatives undertaken by the ministry and its agencies last year as well as trade and investment data for the year.

Mustapa said to broaden the country’s trade market, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) plans to organise Africa Day in Kuala Lumpur.

“We are trying to see what more we can do to increase trade with African countries,” he said.

The minister later hosted an engagement programme with small and medium entreprises (SMEs) engaged in the aerospace industry.

The engagement was part of the government’s commitment to ensuring the  long-term development of the local aerospace industry as outlined in the Economic Transformation Programme’s Business Services Entry Point Project 8: Developing SMEs in the Global Aerospace Manufacturing Industry.
Under the EPP8, 10 SMEs have been identified by SME Corp Malaysia to be further nurtured to help them penetrate new markets and link up with major aerospace industry players.

MATRADE, in collaboration with the National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office (NAICO), will be be bringing these SMEs to participate in the Cranfield Aerospace Programme from July 18 to 22 and the Farnborough International Airshow from July 11 to 17, both in the United Kingdom, for, among others, exposure to the global aerospace industry landscape. -- Bernama