Metro

Monday November 9, 2009

PPC hosts logistic seminar on Nov 17


THE Penang Port Commission (PPC) will hold a seminar on Nov 17 to help local logistics players better understand the impact of liberalisation of services when the Asean Free Trade Agreement takes effect next year.

PPC chairman Tan Cheng Liang said the seminar entitled ‘Asean Framework Agree-ment on Services (AFAS) – Logistic Sector’ is aimed at helping local logistics players compete with their counterparts in the region.

“It is important to equip these players with first-hand knowledge and help them explore new opportunities within the region.

“If we fail to do so, it may lead to numerous shortfalls in our local services sectors,” she said at a press conference in George Town on Friday.

More than 100 participants are expected to take part in the seminar to be held at Gurney Hotel.

The speaker of the seminar is Mohamad Shahabar Abdul Kareem, a senior director of the services development division of the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti).

Tan said when the Asean Free Trade Agreement takes effect next year, foreign investors, who have greater human resources and capital, could just move in and conduct their operations in Malaysia.

“During a meeting with Miti recently, I was told that more than 100 international players, especially those from the European countries, have registered themselves with the Government.

“They want to set up international procurement centres here,” she said.

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