Thursday, September 14th, 2017 at , Business
E-commerce programme aims to attract over 50,000 merchants onto the platform by 2018
By KEVIN WONG / Pic By MUHD AMIN NAHARUL
Lazada Malaysia has kicked off their #EveryoneCanSell programme — an end-to-end, fully integrated e-commerce platform — to further spur the growth of local small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
CEO Hans-Peter Ressel said the e-commerce programme aims to attract over 50,000 merchants onto the platform by 2018.
“Personally, I think the target of 50,000 merchants is quite ambitious but with our collaboration with SME Corp Malaysia, Companies Commission of Malaysia, Malayan Banking Bhd and Telekom Malaysia Bhd, we believe that we have structured the right package to provide the right tools and solutions to help entrepreneurs be successful,” he said at the launch ceremony yesterday.
Currently, Lazada Malaysia has more than 19,000 online merchants where all are local businesses from the SME sector.
The programme addresses the challenges ahead of an aspiring entrepreneur while providing a clear blueprint with the right financial support, easing the process of business registrations, connectivity, training and marketing tools for a successful online business.
Additionally, the online merchants would be supported at every stage of their business with recommended solutions provided by the various partners.
International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan, who was also present at the launch, said the government has always remained committed and steadfast towards efforts to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship among Malaysians.
Ahmad said in order for entrepreneurs to be successful and to remain relevant and competitive, one must embrace and adapt new technologies and innovations.
“That said, the year 2017 is the year of digital transformation for Malaysia, and we have rightfully done so with innovation and creativity at the heart of the economy of the future,” he said.
“With SMEs making up 98.5% of total business establishments in Malaysia, MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry) has always provided the support and encouragement for SMEs as they are the backbone of our economy.
“Also, they are the drivers of Malaysia’s economic growth towards a high-income and inclusive nation by the year 2020,” he added.
The government, Ahmad said, would also continue to work with companies and other stakeholders to harness technology and innovation in the country’s digital transformation efforts.
Earlier this year, Malaysia had opened its doors to to one of Chinese technology leaders, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, to create the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ), the world’s first special trade zone that will promote the growth of e-commerce.
He said the DFTZ would provide a state-of-the-art platform for both SMEs and larger enterprises to conduct their digital businesses and services.
