CM to deliver keynote address at Sarawak-Singapore business forum today

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Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg

KUCHING: Today marks a significant milestone in the state’s strategic economic approach when Sarawak introduces its products and services to the region and the rest of the world via Singapore as a centre of world trade and businesses.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg will deliver a keynote address at the Sarawak-Singapore Business Forum and Expo 2019 at Suntec Singapore in conjunction with the establishment of the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (Statos), said the Chief Minister’s Office in a press statement
yesterday.

The soft launch of Statos by Abang Johari was held in June earlier this year as a key strategy for Sarawak to explore the global market, bring in more investments, promote trade and attract more tourists.

It serves as a one-stop centre for investment and businesses, as well as tourism players in Singapore to know more about Sarawak on a daily basis.

Among those to be present today are Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chung Sing and Vice President of Singapore’s Manufacturing Federation Teo Eng Cheong, who will both speak at the ceremony.

The morning’s programme will also see the signing of memoranda of understanding and memoranda of agreement between members of Sarawak’s business community and their Singapore counterparts, to pave the way for collaborations in various fields.

This will be followed by two parallel seminars on trade and investment and tourism and business events opportunities in Sarawak.

At the end of the programme, Abang Johari will engage in a dialogue session with participants of the forum.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the expo features 86 exhibitors from Sarawak displaying various kinds of products and services.

It said Singapore has been Sarawak’s traditional trading partner since pre-independence with pepper, rubber and sago being Sarawak’s major export items to the island republic.

In 2018, the trade volume between Singapore and Sarawak was RM2.18 billion with machinery, transport equipment, mineral fuels, lubricant and food items as the main trading items.