800 participants to benefit from the launch of Yayasan PETRONAS empower ECER and Yayasan PETRONAS entrepreneur ECER programmes
KOTA BHARU, 9 MARCH 2023: The East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) targets to attract RM3 billion in committed investments to Kelantan this year, focusing on agriculture, agribusiness, manufacturing, and energy sectors that are anticipated to create more new jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for the rakyat in Kelantan.
Menteri Besar Kelantan, YAB Ustaz Dato’ Bentara Kanan Dato’ Haji Ahmad Yakob, who chaired the ECER Implementation and Coordination Committee (ICC) Kelantan meeting lauded ECERDC’s effort in sustaining the investment momentum into the state, and looks forward to more investors taking advantage of the Kelantan Special Incentive Package which has been extensively promoted by ECERDC over the past two years.
Under the Kelantan Special Incentive Package, eligible investors can enjoy 0% income tax rate for 15 years and an extension of another five years at a special rate of 17%. Furthermore, non- citizens holding senior management positions in companies that are included under this initiative will only be subject to a flat tax rate of 15% as an added incentive to increase Kelantan’s competitiveness as an investment destination.
“As of February 2023, ECERDC has already attracted RM1.1 billion in committed investments and I am confident that ECERDC will be able to meet its investment target. I also believe that ECERDC will be able to attract more investments in the agriculture sector into Kelantan which supports the Government’s food security agenda,” said YBhg. Dato’ Baidzawi Che Mat, Chief Executive Officer of ECERDC after the ICC Kelantan meeting.
At the ICC meeting, the ICC members were also briefed on the ongoing ECERDC effort in collaboration with the Kelantan State Government to register Masjid Kampung Laut, which was successfully relocated from Nilam Puri to Kampung Laut last year as a national heritage monument. They were also updated on ongoing projects which include the Tok Bali Integrated Fisheries Park (Package 3), which is expected to be completed by end of April 2023. Tok Bali Integrated Fisheries Park will open up opportunities for local SME players to participate in the downstream fisheries activities.
Post ICC meeting, the ICC members attended the Majlis Apresiasi Program Pembangunan Modal Insan ECER Negeri Kelantan which was held in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and SIRIM which witnessed the graduation of over 730 participants from ECERDC’s human capital development programmes. The ICC members also witnessed YAB Menteri Besar Kelantan launching the Yayasan PETRONAS empower ECER Skills and Entrepreneurship Training Programme (Session 2022-2024) with UiTM and USM as well as Yayasan PETRONAS entrepreneur ECER programme with SIRIM.
The Yayasan PETRONAS empower ECER Skills and Entrepreneur Development programme will be conducted by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Kota Bharu, Pasir Mas, Kuala Krai and Machang districts for 800 participants from the B40 communities. The programme targets to enhance employability and develop new entrepreneurs while the Yayasan PETRONAS entrepreneur ECER programme to be conducted by SIRIM will groom 45 SME entrepreneurs in Kelantan in improving product quality, packaging and branding.
At the event, Menteri Besar Kelantan also witnessed the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ECERDC and Majlis Daerah Bachok for future human capital development programmes.