Image credit: The Star
KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) has generated an investment of RM3.4 billion and created more than 10,500 jobs from 242 factories, 21 training and R&D institutions as of Nov this year.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam said for the time being, there are 109 factories under construction including a RM4.2 billon investment from South Korean's SK Nexilis, which will create 7,000 jobs during the construction phase and 400 jobs when fully operational in Sept 2023.
"KKIP Sdn Bhd is also in the process of negotiations with five domestic and foreign investors in various industries with an investment value of RM 4.95 billion and 2,585 job opportunities," said Dr Joachim in his winding up speech at the state legislative assembly sitting today.
He said to date, there are 35 domestic and foreign companies operating in POIC Lahad Datu. These investments have created a total of 2,214 jobs with an investment value of RM 3.53 billion.
"There were nine investment proposals received from within and outside the country by POIC Lahad Datu this year with an estimated total investment of RM882 million and 370 job opportunities," said Dr Joachim, who is also state Industrial Development Minister.
For the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP), he said so far only the Sabah Ammonia Urea (SAMUR) is operating with an investment value of RM6 billion and 500 employees.
"There were four projects approved in principle by the Sabah Oil and Gas Development Corporation Sdh Bhd's board of directors, for which this investment is committed to signing a conditional land lease agreement in the near future.
"The investment value for these projects is estimated at RM16.2 billion with 49,070 jobs," he said.
He said the Department of Industrial Development and Research (DIDR) will continue to work with Pasaraya Bataras and Petronas Dagangan Bhd for 2022 as the collaboration has had a positive impact and growth to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Sabah.
"Since the collaboration was implemented a year ago with Bataras, it has generated a sales revenue of more than RM2.5 million from 289 types of products supplied by 184 SME entrepreneurs.
"For the Petronas collaboration starting from May to Nov this year, the sales generated amounted to RM129,471 from 180 types of products supplied by 155 enterprises to Kedai Mesra throughout Sabah and Labuan," he said.
An initiative, he said, has also been taken to set up a SME product centre in GM Klang Wholesale City, Selangor to penetrate the peninsular market and subsequently international level.
He said the DIDR will collaborate with AEON supermarkets to promote quality SME products produced by Sabah as part of the strategy to capture the market in Peninsular Malaysia.
He said DIDR plans to continue with promoting and marketing Sabah's products to the international market via trade expos next year in Singapore, Thailand, China, Indonesia and South Korea.
"Next week, the DIDR will be leading 40 entrepreneurs from 11 SME companies to participate in World Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from Dec 20 to 24.
"Agencies under my ministry such as Invest Sabah Bhd, KKIP Sdn Bhd and POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd will also participate in this expo which is organised every five years.
"The purpose of participating in this expo is to promote Sabah's products to the world market as well as attract investment and take the opportunity to strengthen world -class corporate business methods.
"The sales target for Sabah entrepreneurs is RM24 million and the investment value from the Sabah's industrial parks is RM1 billion," he said.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/12/752900/sabahs-industrial-parks-continue-draw-investments-create-jobs