KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 -- The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has approved 312 projects with investment value of RM22.9 billion from July 1 until Oct 31, 2020 via the electronic manufacturing licence digital platform (e-ML).
Senior Minister cum International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the approvals under the manufacturing licence via fast track was among the ministry’s efforts to attract new investment in high impact industry and based on technology.
He said the National Committee on Investments (NCI) had also been set up, where all evaluation and approval for investment package related to tax incentives and grants at national level are centralised.
From March to September 2020 period, a total of 1,054 projects worth RM66.9 billion had been approved and are expected to generate a total of 44,354 job opportunities,” he said at the winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Mohamed Azmin said MITI had also set up a Project Acceleration and Coordination Unit (PACU) at the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) to facilitate dealings with various related agencies in expediting the implementation of investment projects in the country starting from July 1, 2020.
“As at Oct 31, 2020, some 185 projects or 46 per cent out of 398 manufacturing projects managed by PACU had been implemented,” he said.
According to him, the Economic Action Council (EAC), chaired by the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had on Sept 14, 2020 agreed on the establishment of a One Stop Centre (OSC) to facilitate the entry of business travellers.
Mohamed Azmin said as at Nov 20, 2020, the OSC committee had evaluated 2,243 applications for long-term business travellers, whereby 2,146 applications were approved while 97 were not considered due to various factors.
“Out of the total applications received, some 1,225 (55 per cent) of applications were for professional visit pass category while 1,018 (45 per cent) were under the employment pass category,” he added.
The OSC consists of three components including a committee comprising MITI, MIDA, Immigration Department, and Health Ministry, to evaluate and consider the entry of business travellers within three working days.
The second component is Business Traveller Centre which provides accompanying officer services and COVID-19 laboratory test to facilitate the entry of business travellers, and the third component is special website for information and advisory services.
For applications of short-term business travellers in the country for 14 days or less, MIDA is implementing improvements to the MyEntry system together with the Immigration Department, with the cooperation of Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd.
Source: BERNAMA
