By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, Oct 24 – The state government should support its service industry in the 2024 Selangor Budget as it can significantly contribute to Selangor’s economic growth.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said Selangor’s firm reliance on the service sector and its strategic location close to the port has helped the state outperform the federal level in facing the challenges brought forth by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Sixty per cent of the Selangor economy came from the service sector, while 30 per cent is from manufacturing.
“And we have to look at how to strengthen the service sector, for instance, in logistic hubs or logistics areas where it is quite popular (for the state’s economy),” he said during the 2024 Selangor Budget town hall session with the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry in Kuala Lumpur, today.
Citing the launch of the First Selangor Plan (RS-1) initiative in August last year, Amirudin said the five-year blueprint extends its focus beyond infrastructure development by including a broader principle of sustainability and the enhancement of government-based digital service efficiency.
He said its primary objective is to prevent Selangor from falling into the middle-income trap by providing high-paying job opportunities to its rapidly growing population, which has now reached seven million.
In pursuit of this objective, Amirudin highlighted several new economic development projects in Selangor, such as the Integrated Development Region in South Selangor (Idriss), covering 40,000 acres, the Sabak Bernam Development Area (Sabda) north of Selangor, which focuses on ecotourism and enhancing food security through high-technology agriculture, and the Selangor Maritime Gateway, designed to spur new sustainable social and economic growth along Sungai Klang.
He also expressed his vision to enhance the service sector, outlining a comprehensive dialogue involving the ministry, Invest Selangor Bhd, and the state government to embrace and empower the industry fully.
“It’s not merely for the state’s interest but also how we can use the service sector to compete with our rivals, including in the region or globally,” he added.
