SHAH ALAM, March 8 – A total of 75 projects for the information and communications technology industry (ICT) with an investment value of RM5.42 billion were approved in Selangor from January to September last year.
State executive councillor for investment, trade and mobility Ng Sze Han said of this total, RM3.27 billion comprised local investments while RM2.15 billion were foreign investments.
“This industry contributed 22 per cent of the total investment in the services sector in the state with 4,940 potential job opportunities created,” he added.
Ng was responding to questions by Pua Pei Ling (PH-Bukit Lanjan) on whether the digital economy has contributed to the economic and investment performance in Selangor at the Selangor state legislative assembly on Thursday.
Ng said that based on the current trend, investment in the industry showed encouraging growth of 5 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 and continued to chart an increase of 39 per cent in the third quarter of the same year.
He said the positive growth reflected that the digital economic sector needs to be emphasised to ensure a sustainable expansion of the Selangor economy.
Ng added that the focus on the development of the digital economy is also encompassed in the policy and implementation of initiatives under the First Selangor Plan (RS-1).
He also stated that the establishment of the Smart Selangor Delivery Unit (SSDU) is to plan and implement digital initiatives in Selangor to boost the development of the digital economy in the state.
“By leveraging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), SSDU aims to optimise the use of resources, increase efficiency and create a conducive environment to drive the digital economy,” he said.
