The Economic Affairs Ministry has approved an RM2 million allocation for the Perak state government to undertake a preliminary study ahead of the proclamation of Pulau Pangkor as a duty-free island on Jan 1, 2020.

Minister Azmin Ali (above) said the allocation was approved during his meeting with Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu in Ipoh this morning.

He said the government is providing a total allocation of RM486 million to prepare the necessary infrastructure for the island’s upcoming duty-free status.

“We have given the go-ahead to the state government to conduct a preliminary study and from there we can ascertain the type of infrastructure needed on the island,” Azmin said to reporters after a meet-and-greet session with Felcra Seberang Perak residents in Pasir Salak today.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng announced that Pulau Pangkor would become a duty-free island during his 2019 Budget presentation in Dewan Rakyat in November last year.

Meanwhile, Azmin said Perak had a number of industries which needed to be expanded, including the automotive and tourism industries, in order to attract more investors to the state.

- Bernama