PTP plan to expand free trade zone Move will create 8,000 to 9,000 job opportunities

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Port of Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd (PTP) is planning to expand the size area of its free trade zone to remain competitive in the industry.

Its Chief executive officer Marco Neelsen said that PTP was expected to expand another 141.64ha to existing free trade zone area.

“At the moment, PTP”s free trade zone covers some 141.34ha where some 95% of the land had already been utilized.

“There are currently about 41 companies and factories at the existing free trade area, providing some 10,000 job opportunities for the public,” he said.

He said this after a briefing session with Johor Public Works, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee chairman Mohd Solihan Badri who visited PTP here yesterday.

Neelsen also said that the expansion of the trade zone area expected to attract huge investments into the state.

“There are already parties showing interest in investing at the expanded free trade area.

“This includes companies who had already set up factories at the current free trade area and wanted to expand their operation as well as new companies,” he said.

He added that the expansion would create about 8,000 to 9,000 job opportunities for the locals.

Meanwhile, Mohd Solihan Badri said that the state government would assist PTP in its expansion plans including in lands matters.

“PTP is an important economic source for the state and the federal government and we will give our full cooperation for it to expansion plan accordingly.

“We will assist PTP in ensuring that its plan to expand the existing free trade zone area goes smoothly and we hope that procedures for the expansion will take place as soon as possible.” He said.

He added that the state government was looking at providing government was looking at providing government owned lands around its existing free trade zone area for the expansion.