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STIDC: S'wak to produce, export value-added
furniture under TITP
KUCHING: Sarawak will develop t h e wood-based d o w n s t r e a m sector to produce and export value-added products particularly f u r n i t u r e under t h e Timber Industry Transformation Plan (TITP), said Sarawak Timber I n d u s t r y Development Corporation (STIDC) general manager Datu Hashim Bojet.
This, he added, would boost income for t h e s t a t e because concerted efforts were made by STIDC to accelerate t h e development of f u r n i t u r e industry in Sarawak.
He said this was evidenced by t h e engagement session between STIDC and t h e Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC), Malaysian Timber Council (MTC), f u r n i t u r e i n d u s t r y players and potential investors in t h e Peninsular Malaysia recently.
"The aim was to attract investors particularly t h e prominent f u r n i t u r e companies t o become anchor companies in our f u r n i t u r e i n d u s t r y and t h e planned f u r n i t u r e parks in Kuching and Tanjung Manis by leveraging on raw materials from planted f o r e s t s and home-grown world-class f u r n i t u r e designers,"
he said in a s t a t e m e n t yesterday.
Describing t h e engagement session as f r u i t f u l , Hashim said it was jointly organised by MPIC and MTC following t h e visit of Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Willie Mongin to STIDC Licence for Planted Forests (LPF) area 43 in Bintulu in April.
The visit was aimed to facilitate STIDC in meeting investors from Malaysian Furniture Association and other associations to promote and develop Sarawak f u r n i t u r e parks.
He added t h e initiative augured well with Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy as well as t h e STIDC Timber I n d u s t r y T r a n s f o r m a t i o n and Reformation Plan t o produce more value-added wood-based products to generate RM8 billion in export earnings by 2030 in which t h e f u r n i t u r e sector is poised to contribute RM4 billion.
"STIDC is also focusing on other value-added products such as engineered-wood products as well as plywood-based and bamboo-based products.
"Sarawak aims t o certify 4.5 million hectares of long-term licensed areas and 178,000 hectares of forest plantations under t h e Malaysian Timber Certification Council's (MTCC) initiative.
"This is to ensure sustainable supply of raw materials to
s u p p o r t t h e local f u r n i t u r e industry," said Hashim.
In accelerating t h e development of f u r n i t u r e parks, Hashim said t h e government was also looking into h u m a n capital and infrastructure development.
He also revealed t h a t t h e Malaysian Investment Development A u t h o r i t y (Mida) was offering several incentives such as t h e Pioneer S t a t u s and I n v e s t m e n t Tax Allowance for companies investing in t h e m a n u f a c t u r i n g sector as well as t h e Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Reinvestment Allowance.
"STIDC will continue to work closely w i t h other agencies such as MPIC, MTC, MTCC, Mida, Sirim Bhd, Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB), Forest Research I n s t i t u t e Malaysia (FRIM), Furniture I n d u s t r y Technology Centre (Fitec), Forest Department Sarawak, Sarawak Timber Association (STA), and Sarawak Furniture I n d u s t r y Association (SFIA).
"We will also work closely with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti P u t r a Malaysia (UPM), University of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) and Swinburne University of Technology to accelerate t h e development of d o w n s t r e a m i n d u s t r y to produce and export value-added products," he said.
Following t h e collaboration, he said STIDC would pursue engagements with foreign investors t o promote i n v e s t m e n t s in wood-based and bamboo-based products such as Glued Laminated Wood (Glulam Wood), Laminated veneer lumber (LVL), f u r n i t u r e and m a n y more in realisation of t h e aspiration to generate RM8 billion in export earnings by 2030.
Hashim also revealed t h a t STIDC was in t h e process of constructing two f u r n i t u r e parks in t h e s t a t e as one of steps to generate RM8 billion in export earnings by 2030.
"Through these f u r n i t u r e parks, we hope to assist t h e local f u r n i t u r e m a n u f a c t u r e r s by marketing their products," he said.
Datu Hashim Bojet
