SEMPORNA: Sabah Fish Marketing Sdn Bhd (Safma) aims to enter and expand its involvement in the fisheries industry through strategic collaborations with financial institutions to explore potential business and investment opportunities.
This step is vital in enabling the State Government-owned company to identify viable prospects within the fisheries sector, including the seaweed-related industry.
Safma General Manager Burhan Japar said that forming partnerships with financial institutions like Agrobank is essential to opening up broader avenues for the commodity’s market.
“This type of collaboration will create opportunities for Safma itself to complement and further boost the State’s fisheries sector,” he said.
He said this during a courtesy call on Agrobank Semporna Branch Manager Donny Abbie, held in conjunction with Safma management’s working visit to the district on Wednesday.
According to Burhan, the meeting provided an excellent platform for both parties to exchange views on the true potential of the fisheries industry in Semporna.
He said this included detailing the forms of joint cooperation that could be explored in terms of financing provision, project development and new business avenues.
“Safma wants to push further by exploring opportunities within the large-scale commercial fisheries industry.
“To achieve this goal, we require a strong collaborative network, including with financial institutions that possess expertise and financing facilities in the agro and fisheries sectors,” he added.
He explained that this proactive measure is hoped to pave the way for Safma to identify high-potential and highly competitive projects.
Furthermore, he said these efforts could generate more sustainable economic opportunities for local fishermen, seaweed growers and entrepreneurs in the district.
Burhan also emphasised that Semporna inherently holds immense potential in the fisheries and seaweed industries to be elevated to greater heights.
“This potential can be unlocked through a commercial approach and collaboration between agencies, financial institutions and involved industry players,” he explained.
In addition, Burhan said Safma will continue to explore strategic partnerships that can strengthen the company’s standing while adding value to Sabah’s fisheries yields for the economic benefit of the local community.
Also present during the visit was Safma Deputy General Manager Azis Ali Amat, who also inspected the site of Safma’s port project in Semporna.
