The Third Sarawak Timber & SMEs Expo 2017 which opened from May 18 to 21 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) was held in conjunction with the SME Week State level celebration 2017 to recognise the important of the timber and Small and Medium Entrepreneur (SME) industries in shaping the economic growth of the state.
Noting that the timber industry has a significant role in Sarawak’s economic growth, the Chief Minister of Sarawak YAB Datuk Amar Haji Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg urged the private sectors in the timber industry to put in more efforts on research and development (R&D) and to stress more on the planted forest policy.
According to the chief minister in his opening speech during the opening ceremony of the expo on May 18th, by emphasizing more on R&D and planted forest policy to produce high value added products, it can lead to a sustainable feedstock of planted forest for downstream activities and reduce the loss from the primary or protected forest.
With the theme ‘Timber & Beyond’, the expo served as a platform for timber industry players and SMEs to enhance networking and promote trade and sale of their products.
Jointly organised by the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) and the Ministry of Industrial & Entrepreneur Development, the expo featured 494 booths with 280 local and international exhibitors, which is an increase of 28 per cent in 2015.
With a wider range of exhibitors and an expected visitors of 20, 000, the Second Minister of Urban Development & Natural Resources YB Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah bin Ali Hasan who is also the Chairman of STIDC Board of Management said that he hopes the expo will provide them with ample opportunities to create more business and sales as there is an increment of SMEs participation in this year expo.
In 2017, Sarawak export of wooden furniture has registered an increase of five per cent to RM11.16 million in the first quarter of 2017 from RM10.66 million in the same period last year.
The bi-annual expo which featured the promotion of timber products from natural forest, planted species and other non-timber materials was an opportunity for potential trade buyers and consumers to source for products and transact business with the local manufacturers.
