Saturday 30 March 2013

Allow workforce from more Asian nations, developers urge state


The property market was expected to grow further this year following an encouraging trend last year. - Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

KUCHING: The migration of many workers to Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) has left other areas with workforce shortage.

Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Sheda) secretary-general Sim Kiang Chiok said the latest workforce movement had already impacted the construction industry.

“Sheda hopes that the state government will open up the foreign workforce to more Asian countries such as China, Burma and Philippines instead of mostly Indonesia.

“There are agencies such as Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), who can help to coordinate our present construction workers to be informed of the available work, for example, registering firms that require workers who are trained by the board,” he said at the opening of Sheda Home and Property Road Show at Boulevard shopping mall here yesterday.

Meanwhile guest of honour Assistant Housing Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the property market was expected to grow further this year following an encouraging trend last year.

As at third quarter of last year, he said, there was a 65% take-up rate on new launches.

“New launches themselves were up by 10 to 15% in 2011 overall, releasing pent-up demand after less than robust consumer sentiment in the previous 12 months.”


Karim said with the state’s population close to 2.5 million, more young Sarawakians would be entering the property market, prompting more residential and commercial demands.

He addad that SCORE was seeing major public and private investment in the construction works and expansion of towns like Bintulu, Tanjung Manis, Mukah and Samalaju. “The housing and property sectors are expected to enjoy unprecedented economic spin-offs from SCORE over the next five years, as various SCORE projects and investments begin to take effect.

“I urge local housing and property developers to grab this exciting opportunity to further expand their business horizon and venture into SCORE areas to meet the increasing demand for accommodation and business premises,” he said.
   

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