yesterday. PHOTO: AHMAD ISKANDAR
KUCHING: To date, a total of 745 manufacturing projects with investment worth RM71.2 billion have been implemented in Sarawak. Assistant Minister for Entrepreneur and Small and Me dium Ent e rpr i s e ( SME) De v e l opment Da tuk Mohd Naroden Majais, said over the years, Sarawak has made great strides in economic development and the state’s economy is expected to grow by 4 per cent in 2017.
“We are clear about what we want for Sarawak and its people. “The Sarawak Socio-Economic Transformation Plan (STEP) provides comprehensive guiding principles on how we want to move foward in becoming a high income and develooed state by 2030,” he pointed out. He said echoing the overall investment agenda of the country, the government is also focusing on attracting more high value added and high technology industries to invest in Sarawak.
“Based on our core advantages, 10 priority industries have been identified for futher development given their potential in generating huge economic impact to the state. “They are aluminium, oil based, steel, glass, palm oil, timber based, livestock, aquaculture, marine engineering and tourism industries,” he said in his speech at the Supply Chain Conference for East Malaysia at UCSI Hotel, yesterday.
He said with the identification of these priority industries, the state government through its various agencies particularly Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA) will intensify our efforts in improving physical development as well as investment promotion and marketing for these industries. Meanwhile, ac cording t o Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Sarawak is certainly one of the many appealing investment destinations within Malaysia.
“Through these 745 manufacturing projects, we want to create opportunities for SMEs to access global market and at the same time, encourage multinational corporations (MNCs) to utilise local products and services. “The strong presence of many mul t inat ional corporat ions (MNCs) and large local corporations (LLCs) located here, and the very fact a few big names such as OClM, X-Fab, Huchems Fine Chemical, LONGi, Comtec, Press Metal, Cahya Mata Sarawak and Shin Yang Industries have made significant investments in Sarawak hold much promise for business collaboration and opportunities within this region,” he said.
