SHAH ALAM: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) is pioneering efforts to take local products to the international market through strategic collaborations with several large supermarket chains abroad.
Its minister, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said for a start, efforts for the internationalisation of local products will be focused on four countries namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, Japan and Thailand.
“We hope that with this programme, in collaboration with supermarkets in those countries, we will be able to take more local products to be put on the shelves of these supermarkets, he said in a press conference after officiating the Kempen Beli Barangan Malaysia (KBBM) 2024 or Buy Malaysia Campaign Lotus’s Setia Alam level here today.
“Alhamdulillah, Lotus’s Stores Sdn Bhd is also one of the supermarket chains that is helping the KPDN to mobilise the internationalization programme of local products,
Armizan said besides Lotus’s, the Lulu Hypermarket chain and AEON Co (M) Bhd also joined the internationalisation programme for local products.
He said the KPDN is identifying many more big supermarkets in the four countries involved to join this programme, and increasing the sales value of Malaysian-made goods or products in overseas markets.
“This collaboration has started and we not only want to increase sales by increasing the number of supermarkets involved, but the KPDN also wants more stock-keeping units (SKU) of local goods to be brought and marketed in the supermarkets involved,“ he said.
Armizan said a full report of the products and companies involved in the internationalisation of local products will be announced at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, he said efforts to increase the capacity of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), producing local goods through the KBBM, were also carried out with the KPDN providing programmes such as business development training, business matching programmes and the labelling of Malaysian goods.
He also said the programmes focused and guided the improvement of skills and growth, especially for local MSMEs.
“In addition, the KPDN encourages MSMEs and local entrepreneurs to use the online marketing platforms to promote, market as well as increase the sales value of their products,” he added.
