The Trade and Investment Mission to San Jose, USA was held on 22 and 23 May 2011 in conjunction with the official visit by YAB Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak to the United States of America from 17-21 May 2011. San Jose, known as the Silicon Valley of the USA saw Malaysia’s successful two-day programme led by MIDA in cooperation with Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC). At the Roundtable Meeting, Malaysia’s investment opportunities in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and specific interests in projects under the Entry Point Projects (EPPs) were promoted. The meeting was also used as a platform for Malaysia to update the status on renewable energy policy, broadband developments, IPR regime and prospects of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other Malaysian FTAs as an advantage to enter third markets. Feedback on the key concerns of the potential US investors were also gathered with one common issue identified on qualified human capital. During the Innovative...

Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri (MITI) dengan kerjasama Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) telah menganjurkan Program I’m Setpada 24 Mei 2011 bertempat di Dewan Serbaguna, Menara Usahawan, MITI Putrajaya. Majlis pelancaran telah disempurnakan oleh YBhg Dato’ Abdul Ghafar Musa, Pengarah Kanan, Bahagian Pembangunan Keusahawanan (BPU), MITI. Objektif program ini adalah untuk melahirkan perunding perniagaan yang terdiri daripada kalangan graduan yang akan memberikan perkhidmatan Book Keepingkepada 600 usahawan mikro dan kecil bumiputera selama setahun. Program I’m Set ini dikhususkan kepada para usahawan daripada program MITI seperti usahawan daripada Program Groom Big, Satu Daerah Satu Industri (SDSI), Program Pusat Pengumpulan dan Pemasaran Produk Usahawan (4PU) serta usahawan dari Persatuan/ Dewan Perniagaan. Seramai 300 orang usahawan bumiputera telah menghadiri majlis ini. Di samping itu, MITI juga telah berkerjasama dengan Iskandar Malaysia...

Mandatory standards requirement provides a competitive edge to Malaysian exporters in the global arena, while protecting the interest of consumers in the local market. As of 31 March 2011, a total of 6,450 Malaysian Standards (MS) have been developed. A total of 3,811 standards are aligned with international standards (59.1%) and 328 standards have been made mandatory (5.09%). Mandatory standards aim to improve and set an acceptable quality of imported and local products in Malaysia’s market. The three elements of safety, health and environment are safeguarded by mandatory standards. MITI through the Committee on Mandatory Industrial Standards (CMIS) has been tasked to identify and coordinate the implementation of mandatory standards for manufactured products with a view to promote quality and safety. The CMIS has established four taskforces comprising members from both the public and the private sectors to identify products that would be made mandatory. These include building...

The 2011 APEC Economic Policy Report (AEPR) was released on the sidelines during the meetings of APEC officials in Big Sky, Montana, United States from 7-21 May 2011. The report shows the progress of individual APEC economies in pursuing domestic structural reforms. It also evaluates APEC’s work in raising awareness of the importance of structural reforms, and building the capacity of its member economies, particularly developing ones, to carry them out. The AEPR 2011 shows various research results which underscore the importance of undertaking structural reform to achieve economic growth. A study by APEC has found that reform in key infrastructure industries in member economies has resulted in lower prices for consumers, increased consumer choice and improved efficiency and productivity. It has also estimated that further reform in the energy, telecommunications and transport sectors of the APEC region will generate USD175 billion a year in additional income. Many programmes...

YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri telah menyertai Forum Ekonomi Islam Sedunia Ke-7 (WIEF) di Astana, Kazakhstan dari 7-9 Jun 2011. Forum Ekonomi Islam Sedunia Ke-7 pada tahun ini bertemakan “Menglobalkan Pertumbuhan: Jalinan, Bersaing dan Bekerjasama” (Globalizing Growth: Connect, Compete, Collaborate) bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kerjasama ekonomi dan perniagaan di kalangan negara-negara ahli Pertubuhan Persidangan Islam (OIC). Forum selama tiga hari itu, yang melibatkan penyertaan dari Ketua-ketua Negara dan Menteri-menteri, turut mempunyai sesi khas bagi ahli perniagaan wanita, pemimpin muda serta pameran. Pada 8 Jun 2011, YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed telah menyampaikan ucapan bertajuk “Peluang dan Cabaran Pelaburan” (Investment Opportunities and Challenges) bagi mempromosikan Malaysia sebagai destinasi pelaburan, serta inisiatif terkini yang dijalankan pihak Kerajaan seperti Model Baru Ekonomi dan Program Transformasi...

The Investment Committee (IC) established in October 2010 is a joint initiative of MITI and PEMANDU to ensure better coordination in the area of investments between all Government and investment agencies involved in investment promotion. The IC also looks into the objectives and targets of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) to ensure that this initiative is fully realised. The IC is co-chaired by Y.B. Minister of MITI and CEO of PEMANDU. Members of the Committee are representatives from the Ministry of Finance (MOF), Economic Planning Unit (EPU), Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Performance and Management Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) and Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing and Regional Corridors Authority are co-opted when necessary. The IC’s main focus is to promote and facilitate overall investment in achieving the...

YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry presented to the public the ‘Malaysia International Trade and Industry Report 2010’ on 14 June 2011 at MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC). Five hundred guests comprising of representatives from foreign missions, trade associations, industrial organisations and exporters, economists and business students from thirteen universities in Klang Valley participated in the launching ceremony. The Report contains highlights of Malaysia’s trade, investment, industrial and entrepreneurship activities and developments in 2010. The Malaysian economy grew by 7.2% in 2010 and demonstrated the country’s underlying strength and resilience. Strong domestic demand and a steady recovery in global trade helped deliver a strong turnaround in 2010. The Minister emphasised that private sector will continue to assume the main role of driving the nation’s economic growth. To facilitate private sector’s...

The Malaysia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (MICECA) will come into effect on 1 July 2011. The free trade agreement addresses issues related to the liberalisation of trade in goods, trade in services, investments and economic cooperation. It is Malaysia’s fourth bilateral FTA after Japan, Pakistan and New Zealand.The benefits provided by MICECA are in addition to those already made available under the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIG) which was implemented on 1 January 2010. Under MICECA, Malaysia and India will progressively reduce or eliminate tariffs on an agreed list of industrial and agricultural products between 1 July 2011 and 31 December 2019. Malaysian exporters will enjoy free duty market access for rubber products, chemical products and electrical equipment from 1 July 2011. Imports from India into Malaysia will enjoy zero or lower duties for live animals and meat, textile materials and manufactures of metal beginning 1 July 2011. For...