KUANTAN, July 22 — The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project is expected to greatly benefit entrepreneurs by expanding their markets and strengthening economic growth, particularly on the East Coast.
Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah said the ECRL’s development was not merely about providing a modern transport network, but also about creating an economic ecosystem encompassing the supply chains for goods and services, including construction, operations and maintenance.
He said the development would also create new business opportunities through the logistics sector, warehousing and industrial areas that would expand along the ECRL route.
“When the ECRL’s development is based on transit-oriented development, cargo-oriented development and industrial parks, it will create more commercial opportunities in the states traversed by the ECRL, namely Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan and Selangor,” he told Bernama recently.
Mohd Shahar, who is also the Paya Besar MP, said industry players would have opportunities to expand their markets to other states through lower logistics costs and shorter delivery times.
In addition, he said the rail transport facility would enable entrepreneurs to deliver local products more efficiently, thereby increasing their companies’ operational capacity and productivity.
“With a wider market, more opportunities are created. There is a difference between producing 10,000 units and 20,000 units. The more products we produce, the more competitive our prices become,” he said.
He said the ECRL was also expected to have a positive impact on the tourism sector, thereby stimulating local economic activities.
An increase in tourist arrivals would benefit small traders, food and handicraft entrepreneurs, as well as manufacturers of local products such as batik, he said.
Mohd Shahar also reminded industry players to take advantage of opportunities created by the country’s infrastructure projects by adapting their business models to incorporate new technologies instead of relying solely on traditional approaches.
The ECRL project in Pahang was reported to have reached 97.33 per cent completion, while overall progress on the mega project, scheduled for completion in December, stood at 93.66 per cent as of April.
