MATRADE To Collaborate With World Bank To Help Local Firms Bid For Projects

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (MATRADE) will collaborate with the World Bank to increase the number of local companies bid for the bank's development projects in developing countries. Its Chief Executive Officer, Dzulkifli Mahmud, said the participation of the local firms in the World Bank's procurement tenders was small because they were unable to face competition. "The bank's procurement tenders are open tenders. We need to have a strong group to understand the regulations set by the bank. I believe this can be done through a consortium. "MATRADE will continue to provide information and will arrange for the World Bank to meet Malaysian companies so that we can share information," he told reporters on the sidelines of the one-day Business Opportunities and Awareness Workshop here Tuesday. The workshop is held by the World Bank in collaboration with the Performance Management and Delivery Unit, Matrade, Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corp. Dzulkifli said the World Bank would hold a special programme to disseminate information for Malaysian companies keen to tender for its projects. "The World Bank also said it has the funds and will help companies to bid for and implement the international projects," he said. He said the participation of the local companies would help boost export of the services sector. "Malaysia has a lot of qualified services providers which are internationally-recognised which we can offer," he said. Matrade is the national trade promotion agency. --BERNAMA