KUCHING: A total of sales of RM120 million, slightly more than double of the 2015 achievements, is expected to achieve through the four-day event of the Third Sarawak Timber and Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) Expo 2017 held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
This was pointed out by Deputy Chief Minister who is also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan in his address during the opening ceremony of the Third Sarawak Timber and SMEs Expo 2017 at BCCK here, yesterday.
He disclosed, the second Expo in 2015 has garnered a total sales of RM96 million comprised cash sales by exhibitors, sales contracted signed by major timber companies and trade enquiries and order received during the four-day Expo.
Tengah added that the Expo is focusing on promotion of timber products not only from natural forest but also planted species like Acacia and other non-timber materials such as bamboo, palm trees (nibong and coconut trunk) and others for the sustainable development of timber industry in the future.
“This biannual Expo is a trade and consumer fair that serves as a platform for the local timber industry players and SMEs to enhance networking, to promote trade and sales of their products.
“As a ‘One-Stop Centre’, the Expo is an ideal avenue and opportunity for both buyers and suppliers of timber and non-timber related products and services to source for products and transact business with the local manufacturers.
“This year we have received an overwhelming response from 280 registered exhibitors with a total of 494 number of booths, (an increase of 48 per cent compared to 2015) comprising of local and international participants including Vietnam, Korea, China, India and Indonesia.
“This shows that the Expo has gained its recognition given the fact that it is only being organised for its third time. This may be the right time for us to consider building another exhibition hall with a bigger capacity to meet the future demand,” he pointed out.
He further said that the Expo will feature the contribution and importance of timber and SMEs industries in shaping the economic growth of the state and timber industry will continue to become one of the significant contributors to the state socio-economic growth in years to come.
Tengah who is also Second Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources added, in the first three months of 2017, Sarawak’s total export earning of timber and timber products was registered at RM1.42 billion. The tight supplies of logs in the local market and uncertain markets have continued to impact the export of timber from the state.
“Japan remains the largest buyer of timber and timber products from the state that accounted for 42 per cent or RM592 million of the overall export earnings, followed by India 15 per cent (RM213 million), South Korea 10 per cent (RM146 million) and the Middle East eight per cent (RM112 million), with plywood, log, sawn timber and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) are the major products exported.
“Apart from that, Sarawak export of wooden furniture has registered an increase of five per cent to RM11.16 million in the first quarter of 2017 from RM10.66 million in the same period last year. This positive trend augurs well for future growth and export of furniture from Sarawak,” he revealed.
The government also recognises the important role played by SMEs and their contributions towards the nation’s economic development.
97 per cent or 645,136 of total business establishments in Malaysia are SMEs and these business accounts for 65 per cent of the country’s employment.
“I have seen the increase in SMEs participation in this year Expo and I hope this Expo will be able to provide them with ample opportunities for them to create more businesses and sales.
“The government will continue to intensify efforts to promote and develop the SMEs including furniture industry to value add their products utilizing modern technologies and innovations so that they can become competitive in the global market,” stressed Tengah.
Also announced yesterday was the winner of PUSAKA-UNIMAS Furniture Design Competition 2016 that went to Norazrin Rashid.
Meanwhile, in second and third places were Liew Jia Sheng and Iwan Hamdan respectively.
