KUCHING: In order for Sarawak to be developed further as a business hub, both the government as well as private sector players need to step up their game and address challenges within the state’s transportation and logistics area.
This was highlighted by president of the Sarawak Chamber of Commerce and Industry Datuk Abang Abdul Karim Tun Openg during the Sarawak Business Summit 2014 held here yesterday.
With the theme “Turning Sarawak into the New Business Hub of Malaysia”, the summit addresses growth nodes in the state, outlining issues such as human capital development and sectors to look out for.
“We need to address challenges in logistics and transportation that we have in Sarawak in order to expand business potential and opportunities available here,” he said.
This is currently being addressed by both public and private sectors, he added, but the impact was felt more by the private sector.
“For example, the reduction in fuel subsidy will only add on to costs of doing business for companies,” Abang Karim cited as an example, acknowledging that doing business in Sarawak was quite costly.
“And as we move on while costs increase, the effect on our business community is that it will make us less competitive on a global scale.
“I hope all these effort made by government may be able to address high cost of doing business in Sarawak.”
During the question and answer session after, Datuk Ismawi Ismuni, director of the State Planning Unit under the Chief Minister’s Department affirmed that they were looking at ways to enhance the cabotage policy.
“There is an ongoing discussion on this policy with the Ministry of Transport and even the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, where Sabah and Sarawak are being engaged.
“Sabah, if I am not mistaken, want the cabotage policy to be fully scrapped.
“Sarawak, on the other hand, want partial liberalisation of the policy,” he said, adding that this was after discussions with players in the industry.
“They are studying and assessing this very closely.”