KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) — Malaysia aims to attract investments worth RM56 billion in the manufacturing sector in 2015, a modest target compared with the RM71.9 billion it received last year. Minister of International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the manufacturing sector has remained attractive to investors, with approved investments in the sector surging by 38 per cent to RM71.9 billion in 2014 compared with RM52.1 billion in 2013. For the services sector, excluding real estate, the government expects to attract RM64.5 billion in investments this year, the minister said after revealing the country’s Investment Performance Report 2014 here, Thursday. Despite a challenging external environment this year, Mustapa said he still expects a moderate outlook for the investment climate in Malaysia. He said currently there are RM65.1 billion worth of on-going projects — RM51.4 billion in the manufacturing sector and RM13.7 billion in the...

KOTA BARU: Asean senior officials have expressed confidence that the draft of the Post-2015 Economic Vision and Plan will be completed by the middle of the year. International Trade and Industry Deputy Ministry Secretary-General (Trade) Mohd Rizal Sheriff said the draft would spell out a new and bold plan to chart the direction for deeper regional integration for the 2016-2025 period. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Eight Meeting of High-Level Task Force on Asean Economic Integration here yesterday, he said the discussion on the preparation of the draft was progressing well and the commitment from the 10 member countries was very strong. “The meeting has been going on for almost a year now and we are quite optimistic about the next 10 years. “We hope that the final draft document will be ready for internal perusal before it is announced by the leaders in November,” he said. Bernama reported that Mohd Rizal, who chaired the meeting, said although the draft...

GEORGE TOWN (Feb 28): Penang moved up one notch to the third spot with the highest number of approved investments in the country last year, after Johor and Sarawak. Penang approved local and foreign investments totalling RM8.2 billion in 2014, a 109% jump from the previous year. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state approved foreign investments amounting to RM5.1 billion and RM3.04 billion in  domestic investments last year. “In 2013, our total proposed capital investment was RM3.9 billion and we were ranked No. 4,” he told a news conference to announce the investment figures released by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) yesterday. “This (2014) is good results, although it is more important that we receive quality investments. “It should not be typical industries but those that can add value, be high-tech and are knowledge intensive,” Lim said. He added that the investments in Penang were widely distributed between local and foreign businesses...

 

KOTA BAHARU, Kelantan state, Malaysia March 1 (NNN-Bernama) — The 21st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Retreat reaches its peak when all economic ministers of ASEAN and the organisation secretary General, Le Luong Minh, meet Sunday. The last day of the retreat kick start with a briefing by the chairman of ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid on the feedback from the private sector on the ASEAN Economic Community. Mohd Munir would also submit seven proposals, covering eight sectors, to be implemented before the AEC kickoff to smoothen the region’s integration as a single economy as well as previous outstanding proposals such as ASEAN business card and ASEAN lane at all international entry points. Among the proposals that will be submitted are the setting up of the ASEAN Youth Entrepreneur Association and the ASEAN Women Entrepreneur Association to address the needs of two of the major groups in the region’s demographic structure. Also to be...

KOTA BAHARU, March 1 (Bernama) — Member countries will continuously reduce non-tariff measures and non-tariff barriers for freer intra ASEAN trade, said International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed Sunday. Mustapa said 69 non-tariff measures had been identified, and of this, 45 had been resolved. “We have decided to make more progress. We have identified many more and we will try to resolve those,” he told a press conference on the final day of the 21st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat (AEM) here. The Economic Ministers also proposed to form a mechanism to deal with non-tariff measures in facilitating the movement of businesses within the region. “We are looking at a formal platform. We are talking to the European Union, to see how we can share best practices with them,” said Mustapa. ASEAN Deputy Secretary General for the ASEAN Economic Community Dr Lim Hong Hin said a systematic mechanism would be developed to allow the private...

KOTA BAHARU, March 1 (BERNAMA) — ASEAN economic ministers (AEM) today wrapped up their two-day retreat here with a steady progress made towards implementing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint, particularly key measures prioritised by member states. As the regional grouping moves towards the tail-end of the AEC implementation, it has progressively removed trade obstacles such as Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB), which are a clear impediment towards the realisation of the AEC. “There are a number of highlights (achieved) during this retreat. We’d talked about NTBs, listened to reports on the progress of the economic integration, and spent a lot of time on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),” International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed told reporters on the final day of the two-day 21st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat (AEM) here, Sunday. Mustapa, who chaired the retreat, said eliminating non-tariff barriers is very...

KOTA BHARU: Negara anggota ASEAN akan terus mengurangkan langkah-langkah dan halangan bukan tarif untuk perdagangan yang lebih bebas di dalam pertubuhan serantau itu, kata Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed hari ini. Bercakap kepada pemberita, Datuk Seri Mustapa menyatakan langkah bukan tarif telah dikenal pasti dan 45 daripadanya telah ditangani.Kami telah membuat keputusan untuk berusaha ke atas langkah dan halangan bukan tarif dan cuba menyelesaikan lebih banyak lagi,ketika di sidang akhbar pada hari terakhir Pemukiman Menteri-Menteri Ekonomi ASEAN (AEM) Ke-21 di sini, hari ini.Menteri ekonomi terbabit juga mencadangkan pembentukan mekanisme untuk menangani langkah bukan tarif bagi memudahkan pergerakan perniagaan di dalam rantau berkenaan.Kami sedang meneliti satu platform rasmi. Kami sedang berbincang dengan Kesatuan Eropah untuk melihat bagaimana kami boleh berkongsi amalan terbaik daripada mereka. Timbalan Setiausaha Agung ASEAN...

Kota Bharu: Negara anggota Asean akan membincangkan lebih terperinci mengenai cadangan penubuhan Bank Mikro Asean bagi membantu perusahaan mikro mengembangkan perniagaan masing-masing. Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri (Miti), Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed berkata, Bank Mikro itu dijangka dapat memberi kemudahan kepada perusahaan mikro yang ingin meluaskan perniagaan dalam rantau Asean. Beliau berkata, operasi Bank Mikro Asean itu akan berlainan dengan bank sedia ada dalam kalangan negara anggota, namun ia akan mempraktikkan garis panduan yang sama.“Cadangan ini sudah diusulkan menerusi Majlis Penasihat Perniagaan ASEAN (ABAC). Bagaimanapun, belum ada sebarang keputusan dibuat kerana kami akan membincangkannya lebih lanjut pada mesyuarat yang akan berlangsung di Jakarta, April ini.“Banyak perbincangan yang sudah dibuat untuk merealisasikan Bank Mikro Asean ini dan ia juga akan mengetengahkan pentingnya dagangan sempadan dalam memacu peluasan dagangan sesama anggota...