Basic infrastructure, key to attracting foreign investors to CVIA - Perlis MB

KANGAR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Perlis  needs to have ready  infrastructure including improvements to its quality of water and services to attract foreign investors to the Chuping Valley Industrial Development Area (CVIA), Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man told the State Assembly today.

He said the state government had briefed 11 companies interested in investing there and offered them incentives such as reduced land premiums apart from those provided by the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA).

He added that the federal government had approved RM90 million to upgrade the treated water supply system to benefit the people and investors.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Ismail Kassim (Independent -Tambun Tulang) who wanted to know of the state government’s plans to attract investors to Perlis .

Azlan said the state government had designed infrastructure projects such as for transportation and also the communication system to improve the ease in which business was carried at the Sanglang Jetty, Perlis  Inland Port (PIP) and Integrated Public Transport Terminal (Kangar Sentral).

"We are constantly working on putting Perlis on investors’ radar and the state government actively participates in networking sessions organised by MIDA and NCIA (Northern Corridor Implementation Authority) and IMT-GT (Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle) besides creating the Perlis investment portal," he said.

He said the federal government had also approved RM900 million to  Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) to build the Kuala Lumpur University’s Asian Sustainable Institute (UniKL-ASTI) in Padang Besar at the end of the year which will support the development of CVIA and PIP.

Answering Asrul Nizan Abdul Jalil's question (PH-Sena) on whether the state government wanted to “cleanse”  Padang Besar of foreign traders, Azlan said it could not be carried out especially if they had documents that complied with the country’s laws. 

He added that the problem of foreign traders especially from Thailand who monopolised the Arked Niaga  in Padang Besar could be overcome if the actual owners did not rent out the lots to them.

To another question form Ismail, State Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Nurulhisham Yaakob (BN-Simpang Empat), said the state had asked for a RM30 million allocation from the federal government to set up a factory to produce padi seedlings.

He added that with the factory, state farmers would not have to rely on seedlings from other states to meet their needs.

--BERNAMA