IPOH, Oct 6 — Perak is set on its path to economic recovery after recording an impressive investment performance of RM5.2 billion for the first six months of this year (1H2021), an increase of 126 per cent from 1H2020.
Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad said investments recorded from January to June 2021 are almost equal to the total investment in 2020, which amounted to RM5.6 billion.
“Perak was able to record an increase in investments despite the challenging environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic which affected major economies around the world.
“The investments in 1H2021 were dominated by manufacturing projects with total approved investments of RM4.06 billion, involving 21 projects,” he told a press conference after chairing the state government meeting today.
Also present was the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) chief executive officer Arham Abdul Rahman.
Saarani said some of the biggest approved projects were in the fields of aquaculture as well as the manufacturing of high-performance aquaculture feed, rubber gloves and equipment for the automotive industry.
He noted that the high-impact projects accounted for 90 per cent of the total investments in the manufacturing sector and represented 70 per cent of the cumulative total approved investments in Perak in 1H2021.
Additionally, the services and primary sectors recorded total approved investments of RM1.15 billion and RM22,000, respectively, involving 151 projects, he said.
The approved investments are expected to create 4,162 new jobs for Perakians, of which 91.4 per cent are in the manufacturing sector.
“The state government will continue to intensify its efforts, including increasing its collaborations with MIDA to help improve business processes as well as increase the efficiency of various organisational functions,” he said. — Bernama
