ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor is set to provide more ease of doing business in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) with the introduction of a “super lane”.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the Johor Super Lane (JSL) will standardise processes and improve ease of doing business in line with the implementation of the JS- SEZ.
He said the super lane is part of the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J), which acts as a one-stop facilitation centre involving government agencies and local authorities.
“The JSL is set to bring significant improvements, such as saving up to two years’ time for the land development process for lands that have yet to obtain layout plan permission.
“This process can be shortened from 37 months to 13 months,” he said when tabling the Johor Budget 2025 at Kota Iskandar here yesterday.
He said business licences could also be issued in one hour after the applicants produce their certificate of completion and compliance.
Onn Hafiz said JSL is a manifestation of the existing Kulai Fast Lane (KFL) initiative, which has become the benchmark for other local councils in the state as well as states in Melaka and Selangor.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also mentioned the KFL during the tabling of Budget 2025.
“Besides that, a JS-SEZ select committee will be formed, involving bi-partisan assemblymen, to study its effectiveness and propose improvements that can be taken to ensure that the zone can benefit the people,” added Onn Hafiz.
Meanwhile, the Mentri Besar said Johor could adopt a 4.5-day work week in the future if the state government improves its service delivery to the people.
For now, the state government would continue improving its productivity and service delivery systems through various initiatives, such as strengthening its digital services.
This includes lengthening operating hours at critical counters, such as operating during the lunch hour from 1pm to 2pm.
“Another approach is to standardise the operating hours of counters across all state and federal government departments and agencies, as well as local councils.
“If these improvements prove effective, the state government, with Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim’s blessing, is ready to consider the suggestion for a 4.5-day work week for the public sector without reducing the overall working hours,” he added.
Onn Hafiz also said the state is expected to record more than RM2bil in revenue this year, the highest in the state’s history.
The state also tabled a surplus budget where a revenue of RM2.005bil was projected.
“The projected revenue for next year is 11%, or RM201mil more compared with that of this year’s. The state budget will have a RM5.12mil surplus and a forecast expenditure of RM1.999bil.
“Johor is at an important crossroads with various possibilities and potential for us to chart new pages in history. The nation’s leaders also see Johor as the next engine of growth for the country,” he added.
Onn Hafiz said that in just two years, Johor had attracted RM113.7bil in investments while creating 35,000 new jobs.
“In September, the Federal Government launched an incentive package for the Special Financial Zone in Forest City. Malaysia and Singapore are set to sign the JS-SEZ joint agreement at the end of the year.
“The JS-SEZ is projected to create more than 100,000 job opportunities,” he said.
