ID :
189177
Fri, 06/17/2011 - 09:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/189177
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KUCHING GATEWAY FOR FREE FLOW OF GOODS AND SERVICES UNDER ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY
KUCHING (Sarawak, Malaysia), June 17 (Bernama) -- Kuching, the capital of East Malaysia state of Sarawak, has bright prospects as the gateway for a freer flow of goods and services between Malaysia and IndonesIa via West Kalimantan, especially under the Asean Economic Community, says International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed.
He said a closer economic integration by 2015 would benefit both countries as Sarawak had a lot of potentials with its rich resources of land, timber, oil and gas while the economy of West Kalimantan, which produced gold and palm oil, was growing rapidly.
"We need good and prosperous neighbours to encourage more cross-border investors from Kalimantan to Sarawak and vice-versa to boost the economy of our Asean partners," he said at a dinner hosted by the Kuching Chinese General Chambers of Commerce and Industry here Thursday night.
Due to the existing dynamism in terms of relations between the two
entities, Mustapa said there were now about 2,000 Indonesian students from Kalimantan studying in private schools and universities in Kuching.
However, there were still a lot of potentials that had yet to be exploited, including such sectors as tourism, education, healthcare and property, he said.
Overall, he said, prospects for the Malaysian economy remained bright, with an expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 4.6 per cent for the first quarter of this year.
"We are still on track to expand by 5.6 per cent this year as the economy has recovered," he said, adding that the total investment value of RM795 billion (US$260.655 billion) so far was expected to create 3.3 million jobs over the next 10 years.
The country also recorded RM11 billion worth of foreign investments in the first three months of this year compared to RM29 billion for the whole of last year, he said.
On the role played by the Chinese business community who had helped the government by contributing to the country's economic progress, he said it was his ministry's policy to develop closer ties and joint ventures with trade associations of the various communities.
He said the Malaysia-International Chinese biz forum jointly hosted by his ministry with the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia in December last year for 250 potential foreign investors from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore to promote Malaysia as the preferred investment destination was a good example for such a collaboration.
The Chinese business community nationwide and in Sarawak were known as brave entrepreneurs, which was the key to success, he added.
He said a closer economic integration by 2015 would benefit both countries as Sarawak had a lot of potentials with its rich resources of land, timber, oil and gas while the economy of West Kalimantan, which produced gold and palm oil, was growing rapidly.
"We need good and prosperous neighbours to encourage more cross-border investors from Kalimantan to Sarawak and vice-versa to boost the economy of our Asean partners," he said at a dinner hosted by the Kuching Chinese General Chambers of Commerce and Industry here Thursday night.
Due to the existing dynamism in terms of relations between the two
entities, Mustapa said there were now about 2,000 Indonesian students from Kalimantan studying in private schools and universities in Kuching.
However, there were still a lot of potentials that had yet to be exploited, including such sectors as tourism, education, healthcare and property, he said.
Overall, he said, prospects for the Malaysian economy remained bright, with an expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 4.6 per cent for the first quarter of this year.
"We are still on track to expand by 5.6 per cent this year as the economy has recovered," he said, adding that the total investment value of RM795 billion (US$260.655 billion) so far was expected to create 3.3 million jobs over the next 10 years.
The country also recorded RM11 billion worth of foreign investments in the first three months of this year compared to RM29 billion for the whole of last year, he said.
On the role played by the Chinese business community who had helped the government by contributing to the country's economic progress, he said it was his ministry's policy to develop closer ties and joint ventures with trade associations of the various communities.
He said the Malaysia-International Chinese biz forum jointly hosted by his ministry with the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia in December last year for 250 potential foreign investors from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore to promote Malaysia as the preferred investment destination was a good example for such a collaboration.
The Chinese business community nationwide and in Sarawak were known as brave entrepreneurs, which was the key to success, he added.
