Alibaba.com recently announced the launch of its Pandemic Recovery Support Program in collaboration with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Malaysia Digital Economy Cooperation (MDEC), to assist more Malaysian SMEs in developing their cross-border e-commerce capabilities.
The Program will provide participants with complimentary access to the Alibaba.com Seller Training E-Course (ASTE) to expedite their onboarding process, with the goal of equipping up to 1,000 SMEs with hands-on e-commerce operations skills by the end of 2021.
ASTE is a two-day intensive online training programme designed for suppliers new to the Alibaba.com platform. It includes 12 hours of online classroom sessions divided into four modules, as well as guidance from experts and experienced online sellers.
In addition to the complimentary ASTE training that was previously available only to paying members of Alibaba.com, Alibaba.com will provide additional benefits to participating SMEs upon completion of the program. Discounts on membership and onboarding service packages, up to USD $500 in keyword advertising credit, and a free Value-Added Services (VAS) voucher worth USD $600 are all available (approximately RM 2,080 and RM 2,500, respectively).
Stephen Kuo, Head of Asia Pacific, Alibaba.com, stated that the program was created in response to Malaysian businesses struggling to cope with online business operations when the pandemic strikes in early 2020.
He said that Alibaba.com is dedicated to making it simple for Malaysian businesses to conduct business anywhere in the world. With the global B2B e-commerce market valued at USD $23.9 trillion and growing, they want to assist local SMEs in preparing for the shift in global trade toward e-commerce and emerging stronger from the pandemic. He added that Malaysian businesses are well-positioned to capitalise on cross-border opportunities, thanks to the established infrastructure available here, including the world’s first Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) Hub outside of China.
“ASTE aims to help lower the barrier for SMEs to get online. We have also been working with our local channel partners to provide support to our sellers through hands-on assistance, knowledge-sharing webinars and expert insights. Together with MATRADE and MDEC, I am confident that the Program will help SMEs better futureproof themselves and expand their business overseas,” he explained.
According to En. Abu Bakar Yusof, Deputy CEO of MATRADE, Malaysia is a globally competitive country that relies heavily on trade and export, which have significantly contributed to the growth of the Malaysian economy as well as the increase in employment and household income along the export supply chain.
As a result, MATRADE is committed to assisting Malaysian SMEs in fully utilising the export facilitation provided by cross-border e-commerce.
“To further facilitate their cross border e-commerce onboarding process, SMEs can tap into the RM 5,000 under the eTRADE 2.0. onboarding scheme. Additionally, companies that are already in the e-commerce space can leverage on the Digital Marketing & Training (DMT) Scheme of up to RM 20,000 to further enhance their visibility and branding in cross-border e-commerce,” he added.
Mahadhir Aziz, MDEC’s Chief Executive Officer, supports this collaboration between Alibaba.com, MDEC, and MATRADE. He stated that Malaysian businesses must seize these export opportunities due to a global shift in consumer purchasing behaviour. “Through this effort, local businesses will be further empowered to increase their capabilities as well as expanding market access to enable them to obtain new sources of revenues, reflecting the Government’s intent under the PEMULIH economic recovery programme as well as achieving the goals of MyDIGITAL,” he concluded.
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