ECRL Has Potential To Expand Entrepreneurs' Market Access, Boost East Coast Growth
By Anis Nabilla Md Wazilah
KUANTAN, July 22 (Bernama) -- The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project is expected to greatly benefit entrepreneurs in expanding their markets as well as strengthening economic growth, particularly in the East Coast.
Deputy Minister of Economy Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah said the development of the ECRL is not just about providing a modern transportation network, but also about forming an economic ecosystem that encompasses the supply chain of goods and services such as construction, operation, and maintenance.
He noted that the development will also create new business opportunities through the logistics sector, warehouses and industrial areas that will expand along the ECRL route.
"When the development of the ECRL is based on transit-oriented development, cargo-oriented development and industrial parks, it will open up more commercial opportunities in the states traversed by the ECRL such as Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan and Selangor," he told Bernama recently.
Mohd Shahar, who is also the Member of Parliament for Paya Besar, said industry players would also have the opportunity to expand their market to other states with lower logistics costs and shorter delivery times.
In addition, he said the rail transport facility will enable entrepreneurs to deliver local products more efficiently, thereby increasing companies’ operational capacity and productivity.
“With a wider market, it creates more opportunities. There is a difference between producing 10,000 units and producing 20,000 units. The more products we produce, the more competitive our prices become,” he said.
He pointed out that the ECRL is also expected to have a positive impact on the tourism sector, thereby stimulating local economic activities.
The increase in the number of tourists will benefit small traders, food and handicraft entrepreneurs, as well as local product manufacturers such as batik, he explained.
Mohd Shahar also reminded industry players to take advantage of the opportunities that will be created through the country's infrastructure projects by adapting their business models to the use of new technologies and not solely relying on traditional business models.
The ECRL project in Pahang was reported to have reached 97.33 per cent progress, while the overall mega project, scheduled for completion in December, recorded 93.66 per cent as of last April.
-- BERNAMA