SHAH ALAM, Sept 20 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian e-commerce industry is expected to boom and grow further with the launch of the National E-Commerce Strategic Roadmap (NESR) soon.

Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan said the roadmap is a proactive effort by the government to ensure that the e-commerce application becomes the most important platform in marketing products and services.

"The e-commerce sector will continue to grow and has become a new trend in the community in the country and its usage is growing at about 20 per cent yearly.

"Hence, the government is giving full attention to the development of e-commerce with the setting up of the National e-Commerce Council besides forming the Strategic E-Commerce Direction Plan soon," he told reporters after visiting Pos Malaysia Berhad's National Mail Centre here Tuesday.

The plan is aimed at increasing the growth of e-commerce in the country from 10.8 per cent at present to 20.8 per cent by 2020.

The NESR proposal, which resulted from discussions between the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, will be presented to the cabinet soon.

Ahmad said Pos Malaysia is the best example of e-commerce application, acquiring 30 to 35 per cent of the courier handling market which is estimated to be worth RM600 million in 2015.

"Revenue recorded a six-fold increase from RM100 million in 2011.

"Pos Malaysia's performance is a good example in the development of the e-commerce sector in the country apart from proving its capability in handling the delivery service system which is among the best in Asia," he said.

-- BERNAMA