Awang Tengah: Sarawak well-positioned to offer Singapore trade, investment opportunities
10 Nov 2022
Sarawak is in a great position to supply what Singapore needs in terms of trade and investment opportunities, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He said this is especially in the areas of agriculture, aquaculture, reducing carbon footprints, and renewable energy.
He pointed out that since the launch of the Sarawak Trade, Investment and Tourism Office Singapore (Statos) in the neighbouring country in 2019, the state has seen an increase in collaboration, meetings and visits on a bilateral basis between Sarawak and Singapore.
“We believe there are still many more opportunities that can be uncovered, especially in increasing the number of export products being sold in Singapore.
“We are keen to expand this area to get to a level where economies of scale will bring down the transport and logistics costs of getting our products to the Singapore market,” said the International Trade, Industry and Investment Minister.
Awang Tengah said the upcoming Sarawak Fair 2022, which will be held at Singapore’s Suntec City East Atrium from Nov 21 to 27, has much to offer Singapore-based consumers.
“This fair is not only about showcasing Sarawak’s tourism products, but also includes the promotion of important longer-term trade and investment opportunities,” he said.
He said the business-to-consumer fair has attracted 31 exhibitors to date, with 17 booths focusing on tourism and 14 booths on trade and investment products.
Meanwhile, Statos chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani said the Sarawak Fair is a prelude to the Sarawak Mega Fair which is expected to be held by the end of 2023.
He said in addition to this one-week event, there will be a line-up of Sarawak Fair events next year as well where the focus will be on food and beverages, education and tourism (diving and adventure).
“We are working on a concept of holding a grand fair by the end of next year and this concept (of holding smaller fairs) is done all over the world.
“When you do many small events, the focus is there,” he said, adding that Statos hoped to organise the Sarawak Mega Fair biennially.
Morshidi said Sarawak has now become the focus of Singaporeans since Statos was established to promote the state.
“We have been in contact with over 2,000 businesses and engaged in almost 50 projects to be organised with various ministries.
“When we first started, nine out of ten people I met in Singapore had never been to Sarawak. Now probably, everyone knows Sarawak so I can say that Statos is a success story for the state,” he said.
Also present at the press conference were Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Statos chief executive officer Chew Chang Guan and deputy chief executive officer Putrie Rozana Soraya.
Source: The Borneo Post
