RIYADH, 10 September 2007 -- Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is offering Saudis as well as other international business owners the opportunity to search for a business partner via the Internet.
The program is very easy to use and allows companies to register their products online and be seen by other businesses on a global scale as well as browse over 30,000 Japanese businesses covering a wide range of fields from export and import of products/parts, business and technological tie-ups, Ahmed Hussein Ahmed, director, JETRO Riyadh told Arab News. JETRO Riyadh launched the promotion of the TTPP through the Saudi Chamber of Commerce -- but the promotion was unsuccessful due to the fact that foreign trade was not as open and widespread back then.
However, with the Kingdom's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) two years ago, trade has become more liberalized and we at JETRO hope that Saudi businesses will take advantage of this unique trading tool, he said.
The TTPP service is free of charge and promotes links, with all foreign business proposals translated from English into Japanese, making it easier to be located by Japanese users. The proposals are then posted on both the English and Japanese web pages in the efforts of broadening tie- up opportunities. Registered information can be updated and deleted online enabling the business owner to transmit company business information at the right time to the right partner.
The TTPP website also promotes links with the business matching sites operated by foreign governmental organizations, trade promotion organizations and industry groups, enabling extensive publicity for registered business proposals and their companies.
Along with the promotion of the TTPP in Saudi Arabia, JETRO will continue to strengthen trade ties between the Kingdom and Japan to improve even further a relationship built on mutual trust and respect, Toyokazu Fukuyama, deputy director general, JETRO Riyadh, said.
According to published economic reports, Japan remained the second largest exporter to the Kingdom in 2006, while Saudi Arabia is the third on the list of the top 5 exporters to Japan. Interested business owners seeking to register with the TTPP program may do so by visiting their website at: www3.jetro..jp or for further information, contact JETRO Riyadh at (01) 4066442.
Moreover, JETRO also operates six Invest Japan Business Support Centers (IBSCs) across Japan to provide one-stop support and service to foreign firms seeking to set up business in Japan. The centers, linked into relevant government ministries and agencies, provide free temporary office space, consultation with expert advisors and access to a wealth of business information.
Corporations engaged in economic activities in Japan are subject to taxes in Japan on the profits generated by those economic activities. Steps have been taken, however, to ensure that the tax system does not impose unfair burdens on multinational corporations engaged in economic activities in Japan on the basis of the mode of their business presence in Japan.
By Sarah Abdullah
© Arab News 2007
