Palm | Kelapa Sawit

FOR many years, the government had wanted small businesses, especially those in rural areas, to come and learn how to improve the packaging and branding of their products.

Not many did.

So the government is now taking matters into its own hands and going to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) instead.

SME Corp Malaysia and LimKokWing University of Creative Technology(LUCT) will do this by creating a mobile gallery to help teach the SMEs.

Essentially, the mobile gallery is a bus, refurbished at a cost of RM120,000 and fitted with display packaging samples and materials.

It showcases the old way of packaging and gives SMEs an idea of how to transform and produce innovative packaging.

There is also a discussion area for SMEs to consult officers on duty.

The idea for the strategic partnership resulted from a recent initiative called the "SME Brand Development Programme" initiated during the 7th National SME Development Council meeting chaired by Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"The mobile gallery is in line with the government's effort to develop innovative and creative local brands in assisting SMEs to penetrate a wider market, both local and international," SME Corp chief executive officer Datuk Hafsah Hashim said.

SME Corp chairman Datuk Ir Dr Mohamed Al Amin Abdul Majid said the service provided through the mobile gallery is further extended to a training programme at the Brand Innovation Centre located at LUCT.

"SMEs can engage LUCT to review their entire branding initiative and identify areas which need improvement," he said.

The mobile gallery bus will travel to 20 locations such as Jempol in Negri Sembilan, Pekan and Temerloh in Pahang throughout 2010. The agency hopes to have up to five buses for the initiative by year-end.

Source: Business Times