Miti forecasts moderate growth in E&E exports this year

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia expects growth in the export of electrical & electronics (E&E) products to almost halve this year to between 4% and 5%, compared with the 8.1% achieved in 2014, said Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.
'We expect moderation this year, due to the global economic climate,'' he told reporters after chairing a dialogue session with the E&E industry associations yesterday.
He said the E&E sector has contributed approximately 33.4% of total exports last year, making it a key sector to the country's economic growth, particularly in trade and exports.
''Last year's total exports for E&E products was RM256.14 billion, an increase of 8.1% from RM236.98 in 2013,'' he added.
Moving forward, Mustapa said the government will establish a strategic council for the E&E sector, that functions as a platform for its members to propose strategic and action plans for the sector.
"The strategic council will also enable members to identify the gaps in the E&E ecosystem and establish sub-working groups to address specific needs for the industry to move forward in the next five years,'' he said, adding that strategic council members will include both government and private sectors.
Meanwhile, Mustapa said the issues raised during the dialogue session were issues across the board, such as incentives, foreign workers, licensing, skills and talent development and energy and water related issues.
"MITI will work with counterparts from other ministries and agencies to address the issues raised,' he added.
The dialogue session was attended by seven E&E industry associations, including Malaysia Cable Manufacturers Association (MCMA), Japanese Chamber of Trade and Industry (JACTIM), Malaysia American Electronics Industry (MAEI), Electrical and Electronics Asssociation of Malaysia (TEEAM) and Malaysian Integrated Chip Designer Association (MICDA).
Representatives from the government included the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Human Resources, Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water and Ministry of Natural Resources.