INDIA-BASED MALAYSIAN FIRMS RAISE NAGGING DOUBTS

By P.Vijian
NEW DEHI, July 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysian companies investing in India have raised a litany of issues that need Malaysian government's hand to iron out.

A series of questions, from business visas to repatriation of profits to Malaysia, surfaced at the inaugural dialogue session, initiated by the Delhi-based Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

"We will consider all these issues raised by Malaysian companies and some of them need our government's assistance to solve.

"They raised problems and challenges in India, they wanted to know how to repatriate profits, (Indian) tax structure, and business visa and even how to promote Malaysian cuisine in North India," Malaysian High Commissioner to India Tan Seng Sung told Bernama.

Both Malaysian public and private sector companies were engaged in the dialogue held at the Malaysian High Commission in Delhi on Tuesday.

The meeting was organised to cull feed backs from over 40 Malaysian
companies, small-medium-scale to conglomerates, based across India.

Malaysian companies successfully completed 51 projects worth almost US$2.33 billion (RM6.99 billion) in India, Malaysia's 12th largest trading partner.

Another 21 projects were still in progress, largely in the infrastructure sector, where Malaysian firms have created a niche for themselves.

India-Malaysia two-way trade stood at US$8.98 billion (RM26.94 billion) in 2010.