As of 3 July 2009, there were 102 applications for grants worth RM50.74 million received by MIDA. Of this total, 28 were from associations or professional bodies and 74 were from domestic service providers, two of which originated from Sarawak. The highest number of applications received was from the business and professional services sub-sector (30). Other sub-sectors which were actively applying for the SSCDF were the healthcare sub-sector with 17 applications, ICT sub-sector (14), the logistics sub-sector (12), the education sub-sector (8), the tourism sub-sector (2) and others sub-sector (19). To date, 31 applications have been approved with grants amounting to RM10.77 million. MIDF received 128 applications worth RM51.71 million for soft loans. The distributive trade sub-sector reported the highest number with 54 applications received, followed by the healthcare sub-sector (31), the business and professional services sub-sector (23), the logistics sub-sector (9), ICT...

BEIJING, Nov 9 (Bernama) — Malaysia has called for the reconvening of the World Trade Organisation’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA) expansion negotiations and urged for swift conclusion. Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, reiterated Malaysia’s commitment in concluding the ITA expansion negotiations, at the APEC ministerial meeting here. “We hope to see the implementation of the ITA2 agreement in the shortest timeframe possible as it will bring benefits to our economy and promote trade growth,” he said in a statement here today. The business community has a lot to gain from this initiative, he said. It would also support the government’s efforts at creating jobs, he said. Malaysia’s total trade in information communication technology (ICT) and electrical & electronic products in 2013 amounted to US$107 billion while exports totalled US$62 billion and imports amounted to US$45 billion. The ITA expansion negotiations...