KLIA’S BTC to facilitate foreign business travellers
23 Mar 2021
A Business Travellers Centre (BTC) has been set up at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to facilitate the entry of foreign business travellers into Malaysia.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the BTC was one of the main components under the government’s One Stop Centre (OSC) initiative to ease the movement of business travellers by expediting their entry into the country for business purposes.
The BTC provides a seamless support system for short term business traveller by providing fast-track services such as the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab test where the results could be obtained within three hours.
“After being declared healthy, business travellers can proceed to the immigration lane and the government will appoint a liaison officer for them with a specific business itinerary,” he told reporters after launching the BTC at KLIA, here, today.
Short term business travellers are business travellers who do not hold any dedicated entry passes and intend to stay in the country for 14 days or less, subject to the approval of the OSC committee and adherence to a strict set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
Azmin said, to date, the OSC has approved 93 applications from investing companies for short term business travellers with total investments valued at RM15 billion.
He said the BTC plays a vital role in ensuring that Malaysia remains an attractive investment destination for foreign business.
“In the past year, we have adopted new ways, including the virtual approach in conducting discussions to attract foreign investors. However, it is more effective to negotiate if we meet face-to-face,” he said.
Azmin said the BTC had been modelled on lessons and practices in Singapore, South Korea and the European Union.
The senior minister said the launch of the BTC marks a major milestone in the government’s unwavering mission to revive the economy and pave the way for the economic rebound in 2021.
“We know the pandemic is on-going, but we are now better at managing risks and have better knowledge and experience in managing the delicate balance between health and economy,” he said.
Source: Bernama
