'Services, logistics investments rising'

BULLISH MOOD: Iskandar has been enjoying
7pc-8pc annual growth, says Irda head
THE Iskandar Region Development Authority (Irda) in Johor is witnessing growing investments in the services and logistics sectors.

Its chief executive Datuk Ismail Ibrahim said he expects the two sectors to contribute the most investments in the Iskandar region.

"Investments in the Iskandar region's property sector are stabilising. Right now, we are seeing growing investments in the services and logistics sectors," he said at a media briefing on the Iskandar Malaysia Mobility Management System (IMMMS), here, yesterday,

Ismail reiterated his optimism of securing committed investments of RM22 billion next year, driven by growing existing and new investments.

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Iskandar has been enjoying a healthy growth of between seven and eight per cent on a year-to-year basis, he added.

This year's total investment to date has surpassed the initial target of RM21 billion.

"For 2014, we expect existing ones to continue to grow and new ones coming in. We are bullish about it and we expect committed investments of around RM22 billion. In fact, that is our committed stretched target," Ismail said.

Iskandar Malaysia has recorded total cumulative committed investments of RM128.21 billion from its inception in 2006 to September this year.

Of that amount, 65 per cent were contributed by local investors.

Singapore, Spain, Japan, the United States and the Netherlands are the top five countries with the highest investments in Iskandar Malaysia from January to June this year.

Meanwhile, IMMMS is a system that uses technology to promote a sustainable transportation system and manages the demand of car use by changing the traveller's attitude and behaviour towards public transportation.

It seeks to coordinate information, services and activities to optimise the effectiveness of urban transportation.

"The system can show real-time traffic conditions and route maps and give recommendations to help travellers make an informed decision on which mode of travelling would be most-efficient," Ismail said.

IMMMS is part of 10 priority programmes identified in the low carbon blueprint for a greener Iskandar Malaysia.

Irda is also in the midst of strategising a green economy guideline, which will look into procurement, operations and supply chain management for businesses in orderto minimise their environmental impact.