SABAH DEVELOPING MARKETPLACE PLATFORM TO PROMOTE LOCAL SMI PRODUCTS

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 26 -- The Sabah government, through the Sabah Ministry of Industrial Development, is developing a marketplace platform to market products by its small and medium industry (SMI) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister and Industrial Development Minister Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam said the platform, complete with booking and payment system, was expected to be completed by the end of this month and would be launched soon.

He said the platform would be uploaded onto the GoNet smartphone app and the app could be downloaded from Google Play as well as the Apple Store.

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“In the GoNet app, there is a section (platform) called GoBiz developed by the ministry to market Sabah products and services for free,” he said in a statement here, today.

Joachim said the ministry would also continue to collaborate with the private sector to promote and market Sabah products on marketplace platforms operated by the private sector such as Tamuku and My Borneoshop.

He said the Sabah Economic Development Corporation (Sedco), through its wholly-owned unit, Sedcovest Holdings Sdn Bhd, is working with an online business application developer from Sabah to market local products through virtual platforms such as Lazada and Shopee.

“Through this collaboration, a total of 2,000 entrepreneurs under Sedco are expected to use the platform within three to five years,” he said.

He said the state government was also in the process of developing an entrepreneur portal which will list all entrepreneurs in Sabah with detailed information.

“This portal can be used by all ministries and agencies that have entrepreneurial development programmes. When this portal is completed next year, it will be placed under the management of the Sabah Industrial Development Ministry,” he said.

Joachim said the outbreak of COVID-19 had affected many entrepreneurs especially in the small, micro and cottage industries, and their businesses deteriorated due to the lack of sales.

“One of the ways to do business in the new normal is through online business where business can continue without buyers/sellers face-to-face interaction,” he added.

-- BERNAMA