KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister, Tan Sri Musa Aman, wants traders and entrepreneurs in the state to be always alert and up-to-date on the current affairs to ensure that their businesses continue to be relevant and in line with the latest digital development.
Musa said they also needed to adapt to the revolution in the business world as the marketing of the current products or service marketing methods were different compared to five or 10 years ago.
“This is important to enable them (traders and entrepreneurs) to compete.
“If we are not aware of the current changes and not up-to-date, we will be left out and it will be difficult to compete with others,” he said at the opening of the Sabah Digital Economy Seminar yesterday.
The one-day seminar, organised by Sabah’s Ministry of Industrial Development, among others, aims to share information on the development of digital economy in the state as well as to serve as a platform to open the minds of industry players on the importance of marketing the products using digital methods.
Also present was Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, who is also Sabah Industrial Development Minister.
Musa said the state government was willing to adjust the policies, regulations and laws, including studying and providing space for promoting applications (apps) in the business and trading system.
“The government will also take steps to ensure the policy of doing business in Sabah is conducive and e-Commerce entrepreneurs can do their businesses easily,” he said.
He said the state government also saw the need for more efficient and effective e-Commerce apps or platforms to mobilise digital economic activities in Sabah and create jobs and income for the people.
For that reason, Musa has approved an additional allocation of RM1 million to the state’s Ministry of Industrial Development’s Special Launch Grant for the development of Sabah’s digital economy.
On the seminar, Musa said, the presence of over 1,000 participants was a positive development and this showed that the traders and entrepreneurs were aware and had the desire to increase their knowledge of digital economic development.
Meanwhile, Tan said, his ministry aimed to produce 1,000 e-Commerce entrepreneurs in the state within a year.
At the event, Musa also launched borneokaki.com, a website developed by Shared Services and Outsourcing Centre to market Sabah products and services online. — Bernama