News about johor

Maybank Investment Bank (Maybank IB) highlighted in a report that nearly 60% of Singaporean businesses operating in Johor face difficulties hiring skilled technical workers, citing a poll from the Singapore Business Federation in 2024.

ANZ cited the one-stop investment centre in Johor, which aims to establish 50 high-value projects and create 20,000 skilled jobs in the JS-SEZ within five years of inception.

Further enhancing Johor’s appeal is the highly anticipated opening of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) linking Johor and Singapore by the end of 2026.

Knight Frank executive director Amy Wong Siew Fong: "SME (small and medium enterprise) players and multinational corporations in Singapore are still awaiting clear incentives before making any commitments.

IIB president and chief executive officer Datuk Idzham Mohd Hashim said strategic investments, infrastructure enhancement, and sustainability are at the core of this initiative.

BMI said Johor’s stable infrastructure and government incentives make it an attractive destination for institutional investors seeking reliable and high-growth opportunities.

To support the JS-SEZ, the government has announced incentives, including a special corporate tax rate, to lure investors to set up shop in the zone that stretches from Kulai and part of Pontian to Pengerang.

Companies making new investments in qualifying manufacturing and services — such as in artificial intelligence and quantum computing supply chain, medical devices, aerospace manufacturing and global services hub — will enjoy a special tax rate of 5% for up to 15 years.

The economists' comments followed the signing of the long-awaited JS-SEZ agreement on Tuesday between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

"The JS-SEZ has the potential to attract significant international capital through the various initiatives that have been announced.