Iskandar Woos Investors from Surabaya, Indonesia

A delegation from the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) is headed to the business community of Surabaya, Indonesia between 31 January and 1 February to promote Iskandar’s investment potential. This follows IRDA’s active promotion of the economic region to Indonesia’s business communities in Jakarta, Bali and Makassar. Notably, IRDA Chief Executive Datuk Ismail Ibrahim and Johor Chief Minister Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman will head the delegation. The mission aims to brief Indonesian investors on areas of Iskandar where they can invest, said Syahril Syazli Ghazali, Economic Advisor at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta. “Among the areas with potential to attract investments from Indonesia are the creative industries, hospitality, theme parks, logistics as well as financial and health services.” The delegation will also meet up with individuals from the local business community including members of trade councils and business chambers, he said, adding that Iskandar can easily attract investments from Indonesia if IRDA can offer special incentive packages for the investors. At present, many Indonesian tourists are visiting Iskandar Malaysia, especially after the opening of the LEGOLAND, Johor Premium Outlets and the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park. Specifically, tourist arrivals from the country rose to 2.3 million in 2012 compared to 2.1 million during the previous year.