KUALA LUMPUR: Pahang attracted domestic and foreign investments worth RM64.9 billion and created more than 55,933 jobs, as well as over 3,538 entrepreneurial opportunities as of August 2017.
In a statement today, East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John said the strong private investment growth in Pahang was mainly attributable to the manufacturing sector, which contributed 49.1 per cent of the total investments.
“This was followed by the tourism sector which stood at 23.2 per cent, and the oil and gas sector which recorded 14.2 per cent,” he said.
Jebasingam said the logistics and trade facilitation sectors are expected to play an increasingly vital role in the overall economy across Pahang and the East Coast Economic Region (ECER), especially, once the expansion of Kuantan Port into a deep water port is completed by 2018.
“To date, the project is more than 80 per cent complete, with the outer infrastructure at the port like road access, interchange and flyover on track for completion,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said the completion of Pahang Technology Park in Gambang was expected to facilitate greater investments, especially in the high-tech related industries in the state, and solidify the area’s position as ECER’s Information and Communications Technology Centre.
On the Bumiputera economic empowerment front, Jebasingam said as of August 2017, 44 Bumiputera investment projects worth RM7.07 billion had benefited from the ECERDC and Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (Teraju)@ECER incentives.
“They in turn have helped create some 4,354 job opportunities for the people,” he said.
He added that since the introduction of the Dana Mudahcara TERAJU@ECER programme in 2012, it had approved 21 Bumiputera projects with a total investment of RM357.1 million.
“The projects are mainly involved in the manufacturing and services sectors,” he said.
On human capital development programmes such as empower ECER and entrepreneur ECER, ECER Talent Enhancement Programme and Agropolitan, Jebasingam revealed that they had benefited more than 39,715 locals in Pahang.
“These programmes have also successfully developed 9,157 entrepreneurs who in turn have generated more than 16,000 job opportunities for the locals.
“About 97 per cent of the participants are from the Bottom 40 (B40) category,” he said. - Bernama