PORT DICKSON: The federal government and Negeri Sembilan plan to develop a tourism and service corridor as a strategic initiative to boost economic growth in Port Dickson.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said a blueprint will be developed by the state government in collaboration with his ministry including the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) and other relevant ministries.
“I will follow up with the state government to develop a blueprint. This effort is important because of the great interest of foreign investors in developing tourism on a large scale here.
“Efforts to develop this corridor can be done with all parties even though the federal government will not create a new corridor authority, but it can be developed directly by the state government and other ministries,“ he said at the management engagement session of the 13th Malaysia Plan with the Negeri Sembilan government which was also attended by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.
Rafizi said this corridor is also to meet the demand of the people who require tourism facilities in the country that can meet their needs.
“We have to accept the fact that our facilities and tourism products must be upgraded immediately and must be world class. This cannot happen with only investments from the government but also requires large investments to build tourism products,” he added.
He said the state is on a good track in the economic sector taking into account the factor of satellite areas to the Klang Valley that need to be utilised best in terms of urban development, industry and other supporting industries.
Rafizi said the West Coast Expressway (WCE) connecting Banting, Selangor-KL International Airport via Port Dickson, Melaka and Gelang Patah (Johor) is also an effort to attract investors in the tourism sector here.
“Negeri Sembilan should have the potential to be more developed as a tourism centre especially on the West Coast with the long coastline utilised to improve the tourism sector here,” he said.
