ECERDC aims to draw RM31 bil private investments to Pahang by 2025
11 Dec 2020
The East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) aims to attract RM31 billion in private investment to Pahang by 2025 through tourism and agriculture, said its chief executive officer Baidzawi Che Mat.
He said this target was under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) Master Plan 2.0, and for the 2018 to 2020 period, Pahang continued to strengthen its position as an attractive investment destination for ECER by drawing RM9.5 billion in domestic and foreign investment.
The Federal government through the ECERDC, in collaboration with the Pahang State government, is also committed to increasing economic growth in West Pahang through tourism and agriculture activities due to its location of being close to the Klang Valley, he said.
West Pahang covers Bentong, Cameron Highlands, Raub, and Lipis, while Jerantut and Bera are included in West Pahang Plus.
“This district collectively has vast land and the potential to attract investment in high-value agricultural activities such as livestock farming, planting of durian and tongkat ali, besides having destinations that can be developed in the tourism sector.
“This initiative is supported by strategic infrastructure projects that enhance the West Pahang connectivity such as the Central Spine Road as well as the East Coast Highway ,” he said in a media statement here, today.
Baidzawi added that the council had also identified a piece of land in Chegar Perah in Lipis, about 171 kilometres from here, to be developed into a tongkat ali commercial farm with 13,000 trees planted soon.
ECERDC also provides support to facilitate investment in downstream product development based on durian to enable growers to reap higher returns.
For the tourism sector, Baidzawi said the focus would be on, among others, the development of the Lipis Heritage Tourism involving efforts to upgrade heritage buildings in Kuala Lipis and the development of the Malayan Tiger Trail tourism in Jeram Besu, Raub.
“Among the major tourism projects that have been identified are the Mossy Forest Eco Park development in Cameron Highlands and the development of an integrated eco-resort in Bentong,” he said.
Baidzawi also expressed ECERDC’s commitment to continue providing training and development programmes for the Orang Asli community in Pahang, 40 per cent of whom are residents in West Pahang, with the majority in Cameron Highlands and Lipis.
Next year, he said, the ECERDC would work with the Pahang Foundation and MyKasih to train Orang Asli in Kampung Kuala Koyan and Pak Senam in Lipis to cultivate chilli fertigation as well as extra classes for the children of the community.
Source: Bernama
