KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 11): Invest Selangor Bhd has launched its Selangor Business Hub (SBH) digital platform today. 

The platform contains three components: the Invest Selangor Investment Promotional Programmes, the Virtual Selangor Business Summit and the Selangor Information Technology and E-Commerce Council (SITEC). 

Under the Selangor Investment Promotional Programmes, members can access virtual conferences and webinars organised by Invest Selangor, as well as virtual meetings with potential partners or investors regionally. 

As for the Virtual Selangor International Business Summit, it is an alternative digital format for the annual Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS), which includes the Selangor International Expo (SIE), Selangor ASEAN Business Conference (SABC) and the Selangor Smart City and Digital Economy Convention (SDEC). 

SITEC is an information hub for webinar programmes held by the council to expand and reach an international audience. 

“We have to accept the reality that the pandemic has created a domino effect on the ASEAN’s economy and also the rest of the world. Nonetheless, the Selangor state government has the confidence to facilitate and assist companies in Selangor in these times of uncertainty to keep their presence in the state and restore their confidence,” said Selangor state executive councillor Datuk Teng Chang Khim.

Meanwhile, Invest Selangor chief executive officer Datuk Hasan Azhari Idris noted that the newly-launched platform could also serve to expedite the migration of activities that are normally undertaken physically into a virtual format. 

“We will constantly refine our goals and strategies in Invest Selangor to be in line [with] the state government’s efforts in realising our Smart Selangor Vision, as well as in becoming the Smart Gateway to ASEAN,” said Hasan. 

When asked about how many businesses are expected to sign on to the platform, Teng said as of now some 300 merchants from 10 countries have signed on, and the state investment company is looking to bring on board 3,000 merchants in a year’s time.