SBF is the government's strategic partner facing new economic challenges

KUCHING, 18 Oct: The Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) will be a strategic partner of the state government in addressing new economic challenges and driving Sarawak's economic transformation for the next decade.

Prime Minister of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said that close cooperation between the government and private sector is important to ensure that Sarawak is able to adapt to changing global economic landscape and take advantage of new opportunities.

"The economic environment of the next 10 years will be different from that of the previous decade and when it happens, the business community needs to adapt to these changes and try to harness the strengths Sarawak has", he said.

He said this while addressing the 10th Anniversary Dinner of Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) at UNIFOR Complex, last night.

Brother Johari said that the private sector also plays an important role as a checking and balancing mechanism by providing professional feedback on system weaknesses and real challenges facing industry.

He said the cooperation would enable the government to re-evaluate policy and implement improvements effectively to ensure that state economic development continues to meet current needs.

He also welcomed SBF's cooperation with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) through the formation of Borneo business community, which has the potential to strengthen cross-border trade as well as open up new economic opportunities in the region.

He said the cooperation was also important to enable Sarawak to play a greater role in ASEAN's economy, including in new areas such as carbon trade, green energy and advanced technologies.

Brother Johari emphasized that Sarawak should not just be a consumer of technology, but must develop its own capabilities in the energy, semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors.

"We can't just be technology consumers, on the contrary, we must be creators of energy and semiconductors as well as new technologies known as quantum AI.

"I think with that, the SBF will also be recognized worldwide as a partner in this transformation", he added. - TVS