Joachim (fourth right) in front of the newly launched Sabah SME Store in Beaufort on Friday.
KOTA KINABALU: The opening of Sabah SME Store in Beaufort brings the state small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a step closer to the global market through the Industrial Development Ministry’s GoBiz e-Dagang online platform.
Deputy Chief Minister and Industrial Development Minister Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam said GoBiz, launched in December 2020, is a ministerial effort established with a local private company to help Sabah entrepreneurs besides extending grants and one-off cash assistance to eligible recipients.
“The GoBiz platform is intended to help Sabah entrepreneurs market their products without borders at the global level. Through this platform, local entrepreneurs will be able to increase their sales as well as reduce the burden and cost of financing especially when the country is still facing the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Dr Joachim.
“So far, a total of 311 entrepreneurs have joined the platform with 2,325 products and a sales value of RM17,571,” he revealed when officiating the Beaufort Sabah SME Product Centre and SME Entrepreneur Carnival in Beaufort on Friday.
“The purpose of opening the Sabah SME Store in Beaufort is to help entrepreneurs promote and market their products by providing facilities as a space for promotion and sales.
“The first Sabah SME Store was opened in March 2019 in the Department of Industry and Research at the Ground Floor of Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens, Kota Kinabalu.
“Given the good response, my Ministry made a plan to open stores in other districts and Beaufort is the first district selected,” he explained.
He added the program in Beaufort yesterday was in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan, launched on March 29, to help revive the Sabah economy after the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The opening of this store in Beaufort will help GoBiz in setting up a collection centre for local entrepreneurs and delivering goods to shoppers in and around the Beaufort area.
“I have been made to understand that the opening of the Sabah SME Store in Beaufort will be able to benefit about 500 entrepreneurs in this district, including nearby districts like Papar, Kuala Penyu and Sipitang.
“The store will also be a one-stop centre or SME One Stop Product Centre in Beaufort to serve as a collection, storage, information, sales and networking centre for entrepreneurs. I was told there are already 100 entrepreneurs from various districts that have contacted the Beaufort SME centre to send their products to this centre,” he said.
The post Sabah SME Store opens in Beaufort to help entrepreneurs market online appeared first on Borneo Post Online.