Omani-Japanese forum expected to boost SME sector exports

Energy Tuesday 20/February/2018 22:26 PM
By: Times News Service
Omani-Japanese forum expected to boost SME sector exports

Muscat: Expected to give a boost to the small and medium sectors in Oman, the Omani-Japanese Economic Cooperation SME Forum, will open at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on February 24.
The forum is being organised by the Al Raffd Fund and the Public Authority for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises “Riyada’’ under the patronage of Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry.
It will be held on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Omani-Japanese relations.
It aims to support the SME sector in the Sultanate and to find suitable ways and mechanisms for export opportunities and foreign investments as one of the government’s orientations in economic diversification, enhancing capacities and exchanging experiences between local and international small and medium enterprises, in addition to establishing trade exchange channels between Omani and Japanese institutions.
It also aims to transfer expertise in information technology and modern Japanese craft industries to Omani participants while stimulating export to Japan in various economic sectors.
The forum will have a number of working papers from the Omani and Japanese sides, as well as an accompanying exhibition of Omani SMEs and five-day training workshops for Omani entrepreneurs, which will be provided by experts and specialists from Japan, direct meetings between Omani and Japanese entrepreneurs to exchange experiences and discuss opportunities for cooperation and partnership
among them.
The forum will also organise meetings between officials of a Japanese company that is among the major IT companies and Omani job seekers in the same field to discuss high-level training opportunities in the same company, as well as organising field visits to some Omani entities to learn about the Sultanate’s experiences in diversifying the national economy.
The forum will be attended by a number of their highnesses, ministers, undersecretaries, officials and entrepreneurs in the Sultanate and Japan, as well as a number of Japanese economists in the SME development sector.