CHIEF Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said the Sabah International Expo (SIE) is important to Sabah as the State continues to restructure and diversify its economy from one dependent on primary exports to one that is value-added and technology and knowledge-driven.

For that to happen, Sabah needed foreign direct investments. He said the State Government had been supportive of the SIE since it began in 2000 to bring Sabah's story to the world, and to bring foreign direct investments to the State.

"We will continue to support private sector initiatives to develop economic potentials in Sabah," he said at the opening of SIE 2008 and the Sabah International Business Conference 2008 by Deputy PM Datuk Seri Najib.

Musa, who is also State Finance Minister, further said that private sector efforts like SIE become even more important when Sabah examines the business prospects and the amount work still needed to attain the goals and objectives of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) blueprint from 2008 to 2025.

"This blueprint fits in well with the Malaysia's National mission from 2006 to 2020, when the country will achieve developed nation status," he said.

He said from January this year when SDC was launched to 2026, a total of RM105 billion investments, mainly from the private sector would be poured to develop Sabah.

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