Story by Victor Seow
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
THE confidence which Penang enjoys from the business community cannot be more apparent as Regus opened its third business centre in the state at Menara Boustead which is within the George Town Central Business District.
Regus, founded in 1989, is a Belgian multinational corporation which provides global workplaces in premier localities.
Services offered by its business centres include fully equipped serviced offices for short or long term leases, virtual offices at prestigious business addresses in Malaysia, meeting rooms with video conferencing facilities and a business world membership with more than 3,000 Regus business lounges and cafes across the globe.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who officiated the opening on Dec 7, remarked on the growing trend and needs of businesses in the digital era and how Penang fits in to meet its demands and challenges.
“The first two business centres of Regus – Regus Ideal Bayan Lepas and Regus Gurney Paragon – are already recording average occupancy rate of 98% to 99%. Its major tenants include marquee names such as Swarovski, IBM, Agoda, Expedia, AIA and CBRE. The demand for office space especially MSC status buildings is increasing as Penang continues to attract more investments and business expansion,” he said.
“Flexible working is a rising global trend to do business. With Regus solutions easily available in Penang, we hope the SMEs and businesses in Penang can leverage on flexible working options to enhance growth, increase productivity and attract as well as retain talent,” added Lim.
“With the encouraging performance this year, the state forecasts Penang will record a GDP growth of at least 6% in 2017,” noted the chief minister, adding that last year Penang achieved a GDP growth of 5.6%.
Also present was Regus Country Head of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, Vijayakumar Tangarasan.