CJC To Boost IMT-GT Cross-Border Cooperative Ties
BUTTERWORTH, May 20 (Bernama) -- The establishment of the Cooperative Joint Committee (CJC) under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Joint Business Council (IMT-GT JBC) framework is set to strengthen cross-border cooperation and trade among cooperatives in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
ANGKASA and ASEAN Co-operative Organisation (ACO) president Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Fattah Abdullah said the establishment of the committee was also an official recognition of cooperatives’ role in the economic development across the IMT-GT region, which encompasses Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra (Indonesia) and southern Thailand.
He highlighted the region’s vast economic potential, with around 88,000 cooperatives, more than 16 million individual cooperative members and a population of more than 100 million.
“The region has enormous business potential, backed by a broad consumer base. Cooperatives can no longer operate in silos or maintain a low profile. Instead, they need to work together to seize opportunities across the region.
“With the establishment of the CJC, cooperatives in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand can collaborate in various business sectors,” he said to reporters after the IMT-GT JBC Cooperative Sector Roundtable Discussion and Business Matching Programme.
Also present were IMT-GT JBC director, Datuk Dr Mahadi Mohamad; IMT-GT JBC Thailand chairman, Natthanon Phongthanyawiriya; and IMT-GT JBC Indonesia chairman, Sjahrian Harahap.
Abdul Fattah said the tourism sector has been identified as one of the first sectors to be developed through cross-border cooperative collaboration, as it is easier to implement and does not require physical products at the initial stage.
This includes agro-tourism, healthcare, education and environmental tourism, before cooperation expands into the trading of goods such as fruits and other cooperative products.
He said the establishment of the CJC also provides the cooperative sector with a formal platform within the IMT-GT JBC structure.
“With the CJC, cooperatives will have their own segment and regular discussion schedule to deliberate on roles, proposals, challenges and solutions to strengthen cooperative participation in cross-border business activities,” he said.
Abdul Fattah noted that some of the main challenges in cross-border collaboration are the differences in regulations, including customs procedures, health certification and halal requirements in each nation.
As such, he expressed hope that processes related to the trade of cooperative products within the IMT-GT region can be simplified and harmonised to avoid burdening small cooperatives with overly complicated procedures.
-- BERNAMA
