KOTA KINABALU: Australia wants to capitalise on Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) three-weekly direct flights between Perth and Sabah to boost trade with the state.
ENHANCING TRADE: Photo shows a MAS aircraft parked on the tarmac at an unidentified airport. With thrice-weekly flights between Perth and Sabah, Australia hopes trade can be enhanced between the two countries. — Photo by mynettbiz.com
Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Miles Kupa said the flights with the capacity to fly 190 passengers at a time would prompt tourists and businessmen to travel to Sabah.
“Trade in goods is not big between Sabah and Australia, but is significant in services,” he said, noting that 36,000 Australian tourists came to Sabah every year.
He said Australia would look to Sabah for investment opportunities in highway and dam construction and other infrastructures.
“We hope trade will cover government procurement such as greater access for finance people, architects and engineers,” he told reporters at the ‘Australia Day in KK – 2011’ networking reception hosted by the Australian Trade Commission here recently.
Kupa said two-way trade between Malaysia and Australia amounted to A$14 billion (goods – A$10 billion; services – A$4 billion) in 2009.
“Australia is number seven in Malaysia’s top trading partners, but from January to November last year, it became Malaysia’s fastest growing trading partner, with 26 per cent growth,” he said.
He said the Asean-Australia and New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which came into force on Jan 1, 2010, and the first FTA between Malaysia and Australia, had spurred this development; trade liberalisation in goods and services have lowered tariffs.
Kupa said Australia could do much more in Sabah as it has been doing in Peninsular Malaysia.
“One of the predominant areas is edu-tourism. Besides infrastructure and green technology development, we can tap into oil and gas between Sabah and Western Australia as some of the world’s top oil and gas companies are in Perth,” he said. — Bernama
He also said Malaysia and Australia were set for another FTA negotiation expected to be concluded next year or the following year.
“We want to improve and make additional concessions to promote trade in goods and services and higher investment.
“Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has asked for FTA talks to be acceleated during her visit to Malaysia last month,” he added. — Bernama