(left to right) Ms Ng Su Fun, H.E. Ibete Fernandez Hernandez and Ms Florence Khoo at MASSA Secretariat

¶ To facilitate and nurture knowledge-based enterprises by providing expertise, facilities, equipment and support services.

¶ To facilitate research & development, innovation and commercialisation activities by providing advanced infrastructure, equipment and facilities.

¶ To promote and stimulate an intellectual, creative and innovative community for the development of knowledge-based economy by creating a conducive Technology Park environment.

¶ Expertise and technical support to incubate and nurture knowledge-intensive technology-driven enterprise

¶ Fully equipped laboratory facilities for R&D and Innovation

¶ Conducive environment and ecosystem for innovation

¶ Platform for promoting synergistic industry/government partnership in technology development

¶ Strategic technology linkages between business, academia and the research community

¶ Advisory and consultancy services in technology transfer facilitation

(left) YBhg Dato’  Ho Fong Lee with (centre) YBhg Dato’ Seri Ibrahim presenting a token of appreciation to (right) Encik Shahazman Abu Samah, Vice President TPM Park Management and Services

Group photo taken at the TPM Resource Centre Building

 

(left to right) Ms Florence Khoo, Ms Aniz Adura, Ms Ng Su Fun and Puan Intan Suraini

Source: https://www.mida.gov.my/home/e-newsletter/posts/

Please log in to MIDA’s website, MIDA Insights for this article at:-

https://www.mida.gov.my/home/supporting-smes-in-the-adoption-of-industry-4.0—industry4wrd-intervention-fund/posts/

Conducted in two phases across the nation, the outreach programme will be an avenue for industry players to understand the Industry4WRD related programmes and incentives offered by the Government such as Readiness Assessment, Intervention Fund, Domestic Investment Strategic Fund (DISF) and Automation Capital Allowance (Automation CA).

The outreach programme’s first phase is scheduled for February to April 2020 and will be held in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Agencies and business associations throughout Malaysia.

To encourage more local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) stakeholders within the manufacturing and related services sectors to embrace Industry 4.0, the Government has introduced a new incentive, known as the Industry4WRD Intervention Fund.

This is in tandem with the National Policy on Industry 4.0, which introduced the Industry4WRD Readiness Assessment (RA). The RA is a comprehensive programme to help SMEs to assess their capabilities and readiness to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies and processes. Upon completion of the RA programme, companies will be given recommendations to prepare feasible strategies and plan to move towards implementing Industry 4.0 in their operations. To materialise the recommendations that have been put forward, SMEs are encouraged to apply for the Intervention Fund through the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).

On 20 January 2020, YB Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, officiated the Seminar on Industry4WRD Incentives, kick-starting the Nationwide Industry4WRD Outreach Programme for the year 2020.

Industry4WRD Intervention Fund

What is the incentive?

It is a matching grant (70:30) on reimbursable basis based on eligible expenditures, up to a maximum grant of Ringgit Malaysia Five Hundred Thousand (RM500,000.00). This fund aims to support SMEs in implementing intervention projects based on the recommendation of Industry4WRD Readiness Assessment (RA) Report on the shift factors of people, process and technology.

Who are eligible?

-Manufacturing or manufacturing-related services (MRS) companies incorporated under the Companies Act, 2016

-Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

-Manufacturing: Sales turnover from RM300,000 to not more than RM50 million and/or employee from 5 to not more than 200

-MRS: Sales turnover from RM300,000 to not more than RM20 million and/or employee from 5 to not more than 75

-In operation for at least three years in the current business line

-Possess a valid business licence and/or Manufacturing Licence

-Completed the Government-funded Industry4WRD Readiness Assessment (RA) Programme–received a report from the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)

What are the eligible expenditures?

-Only expenditures based on the recommendations of the RA report will be considered.

-The following expenditures will not be eligible:

-Purchase or rental of land, building, vehicles and furniture;

-Premise renovation;

-Collateral or loan for any purpose;

-Marketing/ promotional activities;

-Operation expenditure including salary, employee benefits, travelling expenditures; Expenditures on R&D activities; and

-Working capital not related to the project.

What are the important timelines

-Received Remaining Grant from MIDA

-Submit claim for Remaining Grant to MIDA

-Initiate the expenditures

-Received Upfront Grant from MIDA

-Sign Grant Agreement

-Grant Agreement must be signed not more than 30 days from the date of approval by MIDA

-Received Approval letter from MIDA

-Submit Application to MID

-Application must be submitted not more than 2 months from the date of approval(RA Report) by MPC.

-Received RA report from MPC

Expenditures must be incurred not more than 12 months from the date of approval by MIDA.  Claims for remaining grants must be submitted not more than 18 months from the date of approval by MIDA.

Last date for application submission is 31 December 2021

What are the process workflow?

1.Received RA Report from MPC

2.Submit application of Intervention Fund to MIDA for evaluation

3.Company to present (pitching session) at IIFC at MITI

4.Upon approval by IIFC, MIDA will send approval letter and grant agreement to company

5.MIDA and Company sign the agreement

6.Company receives upfront grant from MIDA

7.Company implements the project

8.Company submits claim for remaining grant to MIDA

9.Audit visit by MIDA and RA Assessor Body

10.The application of claim will be deliberated at JPPG at MIDA

11.Upon approval by JPPG, company will receive remaining grant from MIDA

IIFC = Industry4WRD Intervention Fund Approval Committee

JPPG = Coordination & Disbursement of Grants Committee

What are the documents needed?

-1-page Application Form

-Industry4WRD Readiness Assessment (RA) Report (with MPC’s cover letter)

-Technical Proposal

-Financial Statements (audited) for the past three (3) year

-Manufacturing Licence from MITI or a Confirmation Letter for Exempted from Manufacturing Licence from MIDA

What to put in Technical Proposal?

1.Project Description

2.Scope of Project

3.Duration of Project

4.Method of execution (solution providers)

5.Source of Technology

6.Expected Deliverable

7.Breakdown of ExpendituresApplication Form, Template Technical Proposal, Guidelines & Process Workflow are available in MIDA Website: https://www.mida.gov.my/home/industry4wrd-incentives/posts/

To submit applications (in hardcopy) to:

Chief Executive Officer

Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

MIDA Sentral

No. 5, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5

Kuala Lumpur Sentral

50470 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603-2267 3633

Website: www.mida.gov.my

Havana, capital and largest city of Cuba

Some statistics and information on Cuba 

Various Cuban cigars brand

The island of Cuba is also known as “the key of the Gulf” due of its strategic position between North America and South America and in the center of the Caribbean Sea. When talking about Cuba, cigars immediately comes to people’s mind because of its exclusive taste and the fame it has acquired all over the world.

The Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM)

 

Being a market plenty of possibilities to do business, Cuba stands with real opportunities across 17 sectors with 456 projects in various areas such as renewable energy, oil exploration, pharmaceuticals, food production & processing, cattle farming; power generation, infrastructure related to the chemical and metallurgical industries, tourism, and mining. Forty-five of the proposed projects are located at Mariel Special Development Zone while others are in different parts of the country.

*Foreign investment are allow in all sectors except education, health and the armed forces and offers tax exemptions to overseas companies.

Attractions and places in Cuba

Cuban biotechnology products that are available in the Asian nations for some years

Cuba’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have a world-class reputation due to their innovation and high-quality standards. BioCubaFarma, the business group that represents the sector, comprises 31 companies with 64 production facilities and 20,000 employees. The company has a global presence, exporting to more than 40 countries. Cancer treatment drugs, prophylactic vaccines for infectious diseases, cardiovascular drugs and treatment of diabetic foot ulceration are just some of BioCubaFarma’s main products. They also have a large portfolio of projects in different development stages focused on different fields such as human, animal and plants

Cuban mangoes

Agriculture in Cuba contributes less than 10% to the GDP today. The main crops are cassava, coffee, potato, citrus, rice, sugar, tobacco and tropical fruits, and pigs and chicken are the main livestock. Tobacco continues to be a very important crop for the Cuban economy, which is private-owned and brings to the country over USD 300 million in revenue.

 

Cuban avacado

In addition, coffee and citrus are also grown and exported, but the production is much less than what Cuba produced in the past.

Local agriculture products

 

There is a range of opportunities for investors in the agriculture sector given that: the country has 6.3m hectares of agricultural land yet only 2,640,000 hectares are being cultivated and Cuba has a good strategic position for access to Caribbean markets.

Financial Services

Cuban National Bank Building

The main opportunities on this sector are focused on foreign direct investment (FDI) to facilitate the access to external funding sources, the acquisition of banking technology and know-how, etc. This might be undertaken via the purchase of shares in the baking institutions created under the Law of Foreign Investment, JV capitals or 100 % foreign capital institutions as affiliates.

Havana Port, Cuba

Tan Sri Azman Hashim

President MASSA

Malaysia had an eventful start to the year 2020.  A new Government under Prime Minister, YAB Tan Sri Dato’ Hj Muhyiddin bin Hj Mohd Yassin, came into power in March 2020.  YAB Prime Minister and his new cabinet of ministers had no time to lose but to immediately face enormous challenges that included the sudden drop in global oil prices which led to the drastic fall in global equity markets that rocked the financial markets, following closely on the heels of WHO-declared global Covid-19 pandemic.

In response to the efforts to stem the  global pandemic crisis, Malaysia instituted the “ Movement Control Order “ (MCO) from  18-31 March 2020 and extended to 14 April at the time of writing this message.    Like in many other nations,  this had led to sharp contractions in consumer spending, tourists movement and expenditure, curtailment of airline travel and many other consequent supply chain disruptions in our domestic economy. These consequences will pose downside risks to fiscal revenue forecasts and corporate earnings expectations. The dramatic and swift downturn of markets and the global spread of the Covid-19 pandemic have highlighted the fact that the global community is dependent on the interdependency of all nations. A crisis of such global proportions will need a united global response.

Our Government has a daunting task to work and deploy innovative solutions speedily, opening up public sector assistance to businesses and the rakyat as a key priority to support household incomes in order to maintain stability in the midst of this crisis.

As a business NGO, MASSA is committed to play a role to support our Government to overcome this crisis together. The Economic Action Council (EAC) established on 11 March 2020, chaired by YAB Prime Minister, is open to ideas and constructive suggestions that can be translated to policy measures for the good of the country. MASSA members would have received our Circular (MASSA CIR 020/2020) dated 23 March 2020. Members prompt, considered and constructive responses would be welcome by the EAC.

I would encourage members to take appropriate measures to ensure your employees and families stay safe in these challenging times. Our own  economic situations have been affected in ways unprecedented.  Nevertheless, we should stay calm and ponder the steps to rebuild, innovate and reconnect when this tide passes.  Our sacrifices today for a better world tomorrow will not be in vain.