PEMERKASA to help SMEs switch to digital economy, says Azmin

KUALA LUMPUR – The Strategic Programme for Empowering the People and the Economy (PEMERKASA) initiative announced by the government, among others, will help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) switch to the latest technologies such as automation, robotics and the use of the digital economy, reported Bernama.

Senior Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who is also the minister of international trade and industry, said that during the Covid-19 pandemic period, the use of the digital economy had moved faster and saw an increase in e-commerce.

“We see the increase in e-commerce multiplied, allowing SMEs to penetrate new markets outside Malaysia.”

“The Malaysian market is too small; we only have 32 million people. But if we can use digital technology, we can penetrate the ASEAN market where the population reaches 650 million people,” he told reporters after the Covid-19 special contribution handover ceremony for schools in the Gombak parliamentary constituency, donated by Texas Instruments Malaysia Sdn Bhd here on March 20.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin launched PEMERKASA worth RM20 billion as well as a new fiscal injection of RM11 billion as part of efforts to continue to support the country’s economic recovery process.

PEMERKASA has five key focuses on 20 strategic initiatives to boost economic growth, support business and continue targeted assistance to the people and sectors still affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Commenting further, Mohamed Azmin said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement signed earlier is also among the government’s initiatives to elevate local players to the international stage.

“The RCEP can penetrate 15 countries, covering a market of 2.2 billion people worldwide, these are all government initiatives to elevate local players to the international stage and compete to increase productivity and quality of their products.

“Insyaallah, with this effort, we will be able to see local players penetrate new markets at the international level, this is a new approach and, if it is not given attention, we are worried that we will be left behind,” he said.