By Geryl Ogilvy
KUCHING, April 24: The fourth edition of the Sarawak Timber and SMEs Expo, to be held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) this June 27-30, is expected to generate RM7 million in direct cash sales.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said this year’s event, offering over 400 exhibition booths for domestic and international companies, is anticipated to attract more than 15,000 visitors.
To date, the trade expo jointly organised by the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) and the Ministry of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development has registered more than 200 local and international exhibitors including those from India, Indonesia and Brunei.
“The expo is a trade and consumer fair aimed to provide a platform for timber manufacturers and non-timber SMEs to exhibit, promote trade and sales of their products.
“It is also a platform for both local and international manufacturers to showcase and highlight the finest furniture and new products.
“As a One-Stop Centre, the expo is an ideal avenue to source for products and building networks among local and foreign buyers and investors,” he said at a press conference to announce the expo here today.
Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur and SME Development Datuk Naroden Majais, as well as Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh, were present.
The main attraction of this year’s expo would be the recreation of the House of Acacia and the Bamboo Gallery, which are part of STIDC’s continuous effort to increase awareness in the utilisation of both commodities in the manufacturing industry, especially the furniture industry in Sarawak.
Sarawak Timber and SMEs Expo 2019 will also run concurrently with the inaugural Sarawak Design Conference and Expo 2019 that will be held at the same venue on June 27-28.
The event, jointly organised by STIDC, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia, aims to create awareness on the importance of design in the timber and SMEs industry in Sarawak in line with the Pool of Young Designers (Poyod) training programme implemented by STIDC since 2018.
“At the opening of the expo on June 27, we will witness the launching of three local furniture brand by manufacturers who have participated in the Poyod training programme, namely ‘Ideas’ by Samling, ‘Starhome’ by Shin Yang and ‘GWI’ by Giovanni Wood Industries Sdn Bhd,” Awang Tengah said.
At the press conference, he also launched the Glossary of Classification Timber and Timber Products of Sarawak 2nd Edition.
The publication, a collaboration between STIDC and the Customs Department, provided a guideline for stakeholders and industry players to identify tariff codes for logs and timber products in Sarawak for domestic and international trade.
The publication is also available online at STIDC’s website www.sarawaktimber.gov.my.
For further information on the expo, do visit www.sarawaktimbersmeexpo.com.my. — DayakDaily
