NCER spearheads socio-economic recovery in Perak via digital, tech
KUALA LUMPUR: The Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) has increased collaborative efforts with the Perak government to drive the growth of knowledge-based digitalandothercriticalindustries impacted by the ongoing Covid19 pandemic to resuscitate the state’s socio-economic recovery.
This will be achieved through the implementation of highimpact projects, strategic investments and integrated human capital programmes as outlined in the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) Strategic Development Plan (SDP) 2021-2025, it said in a statement.
“Silver Valley Technology Park (SVTP) is a sustainable catalytic project that will pave the way for Perak to become the leading Digital Technology Park in Southeast Asia,” it said.
The park’s strategic location within 15 kilometres of the Ipoh City Centre with convenient access to the airport, expressway, railway station, and inland port provides efficient logistical connectivity.
SVTP is the ‘Next Generation’ Technology Enclave with a dedicated park management focusing on high value manufacturing and Digital Economy activities that will transform the state’s socioeconomic landscape for the benefit of the people and attract next generation investors.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad said once fully completed, SVTP is expected to attract private investments worth some RM14 billion, create about 13,000 jobs, and most importantly, reduce the issue of out-migration of talented workforce to neighbouring states.
He said this after chairing for the first-time the NCIA-State Steering Committee meeting held online earlier yesterday.
Capitalising on the global uptrend in the demand for rubber medical grade gloves, he said major investments from industry players in Bidor and Tronoh will see some 9,364 new jobs created in the state.
These investments include research and development collaborations with local universities to further develop and commercialise high-value medical grade nitrile products, as well as exploring the use of advanced alternative material such as graphene oxide and calcium carbonate for the production of high-tech rubber products.
The state government has also been working closely with NCIA to implement fast-track human capital programmes, JomKerja@ NCER and JomNiaga@NCER to ensure those recently retrenched due to the ongoing pandemic are retrained, reskilled and equipped with the necessary skills to enable them to be more competitive in the job market, said Saarani.
As of end-2020, 13 companies participating in JomKerja@NCER invested almost RM600 million and hired close to 1,000 workers from the programme’s talent pool for the manufacturing, agribio, tourism, and logistic sectors.