Total trade for 2009, the bulk of which went to North east Asia and ASEAN reached the RM988.2billion mark. Exports were valued at RM 553.3 billion. Total investments approved for the year in the manufacturing sector came to RM32.6 billion. This exceeded the RM27.5 billion target set under the Third Industrial Master Plan. Foreign investments garnered RM22.1billion while domestic investment raked in the rest. Total trade in services for the most part of 2009 amounted to RM141.8 billion, with exports accounting for RM72.7 billion and imports RM69.1 billion. Total investments of RM208.3 billion were approved in the services sector from 2006 – 2009 with domestic investment this time comprising 88% and foreign investment 12%. View the  media release of YB Minister’s session with foreign Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Trade Counsellors.

 

YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed stressed the pivotal role of MITI in realising the Government’s aspiration to shift the nation towards high-income, knowledge-based economy at MITI’s monthly assembly today. Also present were YB Dato’ Jacob Dungau Sagan, Deputy Minister (Industry) and Y.Bhg. Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, Secretary General of MITI. He said that MITI, being the Ministry in-charge of the development of the manufacturing and services sectors, is responsible for at least 80% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “The GDP comprises 30% output from manufacturing and 50% services; therefore 80% of the GDP depends on the efficiency of MITI and agencies’ personnel in carrying out their duties and formulating the right policies for industry and trade to grow” said the Minister. YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa also stressed the importance of MITI officers acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills, including writing, communication and negotiation; in order...

The 2010 World Competitiveness Yearbook by the International Institute for Management Development, IMD , ranked Malaysia as one of the top 10 most competitive countries in the world !   Check these figures out… For the first time Malaysia has been ranked in the top ten most competitive countries in the world. Malaysia’s strengthened position rests largely on significant improvements in Government and Business Efficiency ratings : Government Efficiency  :  10 ranks up to the 9 th , from the 19th Business Efficiency       :    9 places up to the 4 th , from the 13 th   Among middle-income countries, with GDP per capita under US$20k, Malaysia ranks second only to Taiwan . The top ten includes Singapore, Hong Kong, the United States, Switzerland, Australia, Sweden, Canada and Norway.   In terms of Economic Performance , Malaysia received particularly strong ratings around: Low long-term unemployment (ranked 4 th ), Strong exports as a percentage of GDP...

Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Minister, YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed speaks about the robustness of the Malaysian economy on Asia Business Report, BBC World News, May 2010…  

Malaysia felt the impact of the global financial crisis, but through sound policy and hard work began to emerge from the crisis at the end of 2009 The world economy in 2009 underwent a major financial crisis. While the U.S., Europe and Japan were hardest hit, Malaysia did not escape economic contraction, but it was among the first countries to show signs of recovery due to the Government’s timely stimulus measures and sound fiscal policy.  The U.S. experienced a 2.4% contraction in real GDP, Europe’s economy shrunk by 4.1% and Japan saw a 5.2% contraction.  World total merchandise trade was down 23% in 2009, and total commercial services trade declines by 14%.  ASEAN saw slower GDP growth of 1.3% in 2009, compared with 4.4% growth in 2008. Malaysia’s economy shrunk in the first three quarters of 2009, but grew by 4.4% in the last three months of the year. Malaysia’s trading volume fell in 2009, in line with the global slowdown, but experienced much smaller...

Highlights of the MITI Weekly Bulletin, Vol. 107 includes: Malaysia to Become a Global Photovoltaic Industry Player Photovoltaics (PV) has been used for over half a century in a range of applications and is recognised globally as they offer solutions to meet increasing energy demand. Malaysia has the potential to become one of the leaders in solar PV manufacturing. With investments from top ranking global companies like Q-Cells, First Solar and SunPower, Malaysia is poised to become a global hub for solar PV manufacturing by 2011. It is estimated that the cumulative revenues from the PV industry will contribute up to 4% of the national GDP by 2020. Updates on the Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand GrowthTriangle The Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) was formed in July 1993, with the objective of accelerating and facilitating economic development in participating regions/countries through greater integration of trade and commerce in the sub-regions. Six...

 

RANKINGS have now become commonplace. Countries are being benchmarked based on the level of transparency and the integrity of their institutions. In the economic sphere, the competitiveness of countries is evaluated on an annual basis by a number of institutions. These rankings have played a role in shaping people’s perceptions about countries and institutions. They may not be entirely accurate, but many take heed of the assessments. And, even if they do not provide complete assessments, they do influence decision-making. Each year, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) monitors the results of three major international reports on countries’ competitiveness, namely the World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) 2010 by the Institute of Management Development (IMD), the Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) 2010-2011 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Doing Business (DB) Report by the World Bank. Many parties may not agree with the criteria or the scores...

International Trade and Industry Minister, Y.B. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, will lead a trade and investment delegation to the United States covering Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington DC from September 17 to 24, 2010 to bolster bilateral economic and trade relations. He will also attend the Global Services Summit 2010 in Washington DC where he will be among panellists for the Expanding Services Trade and Investment: A Vision for the Asia-Pacific forum. “This mission marks the government’s continuing efforts to draw more foreign investment from the US. We hope that through such programmes, we can attract more American investors and industry players into Malaysia and boost two-way trade relations,” Dato’ Sri Mustapa said. “This time around, we will focus on investments from high-technology sectors which have the potential to generate more job opportunities and at the same time create a higher-valued ’spin-off’ effect within the industry.”  

Highlights of the MITI Weekly Bulletin, Vol. 110 include: Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011 The Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) 2010-2011 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) based in Geneva, Switzerland covers 139 countries (GCR 2009-2010: 133 countries). GCR uses 30% statistical data (32 criteria) and 70% survey data (79 criteria) from its Executive Opinion Survey. Malaysia is ranked at the 26th position. Micro-Financing for SMEs Micro-finance is a proven tool for fighting poverty on a large scale. It provides small loans, also known as micro-loans, to start or expand small and self-sufficient businesses. Unlike commercial loans, no collateral is required for a micro-loan which is usually repaid within six months to a year. Micro-financing is an important mechanism for micro enterprises to achieve economic balance. The Malaysian Standard on Globally Harmonised System (GHS) for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (MS 1804:2008) The Malaysian Standard on GHS...