Friday, February 24, 2006
Online biz portal for Eaga SMEs to be launched in May
SMALL and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga) would soon find a virtual place to sell their products and services in the region and in Australia.
The Northern Territory Government of Australia, in cooperation with the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco), the Mindanao Business Council (MBC), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Southern Mindanao, recently announced the launching of the BIMP-Eaga Business Portal (BEBP) in May this year at a forum at Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City.
Quentin Kilan, assistant director of the Department of the Chief Minister of the NT Government of Australia, pointed out that the project was conceptualized to strengthen trade ties among Eaga countries and Australia.
Kilan said this serves as an effective means to assist Eaga's private sector business communities, as well as facilitate the promotion of Mindanao products in the Internet.
Kilan, who previously conducted the business portal's road show in Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, qualified that the portal is actually an online directory that is projected to give SMEs that export, or are on the verge of exporting products and services, the opportunity to advertise themselves online.
Furthermore, Kilan noted that the key principle of BEBP is for the website to facilitate information, as well as trade among SMEs in the region, and Australia.
He also pointed out that BEBP would continuously promote products, by featuring a trader and product of the month.
With Kilan in the forum was Craig Hubbard, an information technology officer from the Trade and Major Projects Division, who gave a project briefing and demonstration on the features of the system.
In citing the portal's web address at www.BEBP.org, Hubbard said, visitors would also able to search the site by product category or country.
The site would also provide contact details of traders for any queries.
Visitors then would initially see a listing of products that are categorized by country, product, and urgency for items of limited shelf life.
Hubbard also pointed out that the BEBP is a community-based solution where all members of the Eaga region would have vital roles in improving the project.
He added that the portal was designed to complement existing structures and information online through links.
He also noted that the BEBP was programmed in a way that it can be adjusted to suit the SMEs' individual or local requirements.
All member economies are then going to form a work group environment for the enhancement and feedback of the solution.
On the Philippine side, DTI, MBC, Medco and other business companies are then being tapped for consultation. Interested businessmen who want to sign up in the portal may call the DTI, at telephone numbers 224-0511 local 303, and look for Ariel Nengasca. (Medco)
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