Small businesses must leverage on e-commerce - Wee

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Wee Ka Siong is encouraging small businesses to leverage on the emerging e-commerce trend to move their products over greater distances.

"Small businesses need to move into digital space from their traditional confines to expand, rather than focus on brick-and-mortar stores.

"By leveraging on the Internet, we can find new customers, instead of just serving the same ones for years," he said at the Malaysia Retailers 22nd Anniversary Dinner here Friday.

He also noted that the country's retail sales and wholesale trade had increased in the third quarter of this year as compared to the second.

Retail sales rose 3.9 percent and wholesale trade improved one percent.

Year-on-year, the retail and wholesale trade improved 10.8 percent and 5.5 percent respectively.

Commenting on lower electricity tariff for retailers, Wee said he is working with the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCIM) to review the matter.

"The government is looking into the issue and the same goes for the charges imposed by taxi drivers. Together with the ACCIM, we will work towards the rationale behind it," he added.