Miti inks MoU with firms for PPV programme

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of International Trade and Industry, which signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 10 anchor companies for the bumiputra vendor development programme (PPV), expects to ink a PPV MoU with another five anchor companies by year-end.
Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said currently, negotiations with the five companies are ongoing and are expected to be finalised in October.
"It's the government's hope that the participation of large local companies in PPV be increased so that more bumiputra companies have the chance to participate in the programme and be chosen as a vendor company to the large local companies," Mustapa said at the MoU signing ceremony yesterday.
The 10 anchor companies that signed the MoU were Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (Proton), Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Boustead Naval Shipyard, Sime Darby Bhd, Celcom Axiata Bhd, Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua), Go Automobile Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Chemical Company of Malaysia Bhd, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and UEM Group Bhd.
The MoU marks a commitment from companies in helping the government develop bumiputra vendor companies, in line with the bumiputra economic empowerment agenda announced by the Prime Minister on Sept 14, 2013.
In 2013, seven anchor companies have a structured bumiputra vendor development programme. Of this, four are high performance government linked companies or PCG20, while three are local companies. Under these seven companies, 1,620 vendor companies have been registered and they stand a chance to enjoy RM38.3 billion in earnings from the respective anchors.
Mustapa said the spill-over effect from the empowerment of bumiputra companies will encourage product usage and local services, increasing local assembly and production through technology transfer and import substitution, increasing competitiveness and capability of local companies especially bumiputra small and medium enterprises (SME) as well as increasing bumiputra SME companies that are competitive.
"This MoU is expected to provide business opportunities to bumiputra vendor companies in sectors that will be determined by the anchor companies. Through the programme, vendor companies will be given technical guidance, advisory to achieve the level of competitiveness that will enable them to compete in the open market and globally."
Miti as the central monitoring unit, will implement policy, strategy and direction in the implementation of PPV in manufacturing and services, which covers vendor development, funding and training aspects, as well as planning, monitoring and assessing the programme's effectiveness.
Meanwhile, MAHB managing director Datuk Mohd Badlisham Ghazali said it plans to install three walkalators in KLIA2 this year and further increase the number of walkalators in the airport to 15 next year.
Currently there are about four to six walkalators in KLIA2 but these are not enough.
"The reason why it is next year is due to the ability of vendors to supply it. The vendors have taken orders from other places and not just airports. We managed to secure at least three (this year)," Badlisham said.
He added that MAHB had considered the grouses by customers about the (walking) distance at the airport, which is at both at the departure and arrival halls and will place the walkalators at the most critical areas.
MAHB is expected to add five more bumiputra vendors under the PPV this year in the areas of services, retail and commercial and 17 new bumiputra vendors next year.