ECER To Woo Investors From China

9/4/2010 — BERNAMA
The East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) will embark on its first investment mission to China next week following its successful visit to the Middle East in May.
In a statement on Friday, ECERDC said it would also be participating in the 14th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT 2010)in Xiamen from Sept 8-11.
The ECERDC delegation is led by Council Member, Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng, who is also the Executive Chairman of IOI Group.
The delegation also includes ECERDC’s Chief Executive Officer Datuk Jebasingam Issace John, senior officers and high-level officials from the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) states.
As a prelude to the investment mission, Lee and Issace paid a courtesy call on China’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Chai Xi, to brief him on the ECERDC’s participation in CIFIT 2010, as well as the ECER projects to be promoted to Chinese investors.
Issace said the ECER offers attractive fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to boost investment in tourism, oil, gas and petrochemical, manufacturing, agriculture and education.
“The region also has good infrastructure, abundant land, natural resources, good quality human capital and is easy to do business in.
“With its strategic location and strong government support at both the federal and state levels, ECER is poised to become a major trade and industrial gateway.
“It also offers investors access to the vast, burgeoning markets of the far east and the Asia Pacific, with a total population of four billion and a combined GDP of US$17 trillion,” he added.
Issace also highlighted, this would be mainly driven by the development of the Kuantan Port City, which would transform the ECER Special Economic Zone into a manufacturing and commercial services hub, as well as a regional and international procurement centre.
Key projects in ECER which will be promoted during CIFIT 2010, includes tourism, consisting Pantai Sepat Mainland Coastal Tourism, Teluk Bidara Mainland Coastal Tourism, Cherating Mainland Coastal Tourism, Pantai Penarik Coastal Tourism and the Kuala Terengganu City Centre.
In the oil, gas and petrochemical cluster, ECERDC aims to interest investors in the Kertih Polymer Park, PETRONAS Petroleum Industry Complex (PPIC), Gebeng Integrated Petrochemical Complex (GIPC) and the Tanjung Agas Oil & Gas Maritime Industrial Park.
In manufacturing, projects to be promoted are the Pekan-Peramu Automotive Industrial Park, Gambang Halal Park, Pasir Mas Halal Park, Palm Oil Industrial Cluster and Kuantan Port City.
As for agriculture, key ECER projects open to investors are in poultry production parks in Kelantan and Pahang, livestock production in Terengganu and Pahang, the Rompin Integrated pineapple plantation, as well as the herbal and biotechnology parks in Pahang and Kelantan.
Education projects in the ECER include the Knowledge Park in Terengganu, as well as the Terengganu ICT Centre.
In addition to the ECERDC’s participation in CIFIT 2010, the delegation will also be briefing potential investors and conducting business meetings with them on Sept 9.