SEGAMAT: The Segamat Inland Port (SIP) project in Johor will be reopened under an RM245mil investment plan that will include the development of a biomass factory and placements for 25 different industries within the port’s grounds.
Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan said that some RM140mil would be allocated for the construction of a biomass factory, while another RM60mil would be channelled for industrial placements.
“We are just waiting for the licence to go ahead with the development plans for industrial placements, while the biomass project has already started.
“The entire project is expected to complete by the end of next year and the port is slated to commence operations again by early 2017,” he told reporters after a visit to SIP here yesterday.
He added that RM45mil had been spent to acquire land to develop the projects that would help boost the port’s capacity and attract more companies to utilise it.
Ahmad also said that there were five main factors that had led to the closure of SIP in 2006, following a seven-year operation since it was launched in 1999.
Forwarding issues and narrow roads leading to the port were among the major technical issues, as well as lack of proper signage, electricity supply and Internet coverage, and high container charges being reasons it lacked support from relevant companies.
“We will engage with the Customs Department to settle the forwarding issues and allocations for upgrading and widening the Jalan Muar Jementah-Tangkak road will be channelled through the 11th Malaysia Plan.
“Other issues such as the road signage, infrastructure and container charges can be discussed and easily settled,” he said, adding that the industry players would also be offered incentives.
Ahmad also said that the double-tracking project, which will pass through Segamat, would also benefit the port in terms of time management, as transporting shipments to destinations on time has always been a challenge for logistics companies. “We have engaged with KTMB to offer incentives as well as to rearrange its schedule suitable for cargo transportation,” he said, adding that SIP had the capacity to accommodate close to 2,000 cargo loads.
On a separate note, Ahmad commended Johor for maintaining its lead for the highest investments recorded compared to other states.
“Checks on investment revenues showed that Johor recorded the highest investment between January and September this year.
“Good relations between the state government and the Federal Government along with agencies such as the Malaysian Investment Development Authority and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corp have contributed to Johor’s success,” he said.
He added that Johor had successfully recorded some RM92.1bil in investments involving 4,249 projects, opening up some 480,000 job opportunities since 1980 right up to December last year.
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