WHILE unemployment may be the topic of discussion in other states, those in Penang might have to ask, “where are the workers?” instead.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said several sectors in Penang are recovering following the state’s transition into Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) on Nov 8.
“After the transition to Phase Four, domestic tourism in Penang skyrocketed. However, several hotels in the state could not maximise their occupancy rate due to shortage of workers.
“Some hotels could only achieve 80% of their occupancy rate because they do not have the needed staff to provide the necessary service.
“Such scenario happened because the hotel staff had sought employment elsewhere, especially in the manufacturing sector, during the pandemic,” he answered a supplementary question by Zolkifly Md Lazim (Bersatu – Telok Bahang) at the Penang Legislative Assembly today.
Earlier, Chow said the various movement control orders, which were imposed due to the pandemic, had impacted the state’s economy.
“According to the statistics given by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Penang in the year 2019 and 2020 were RM94.666 billion and RM92.631 billion respectively.
“It showed that Penang registered a negative GDP growth of -2.1% in 2020,” he said.
However, It should be noted that all states posted negative growth in 2020 and Penang was among the few states which posted better growth than the national GDP of -5.6%.
Chow said the Penang government had ensured that economic growth and income of the state would remain stable through various initiatives.
“Among the initiatives taken were the allocation of RM191.22 million to reactivate the economy and to assist the vulnerable groups who were greatly impacted by Covid-19, the setting up of the Penang Socio Economic Recovery Consultative Council (PSERCC) to look at measures to minimise the impact of Covid-19, the setting up of the Penang Strategic Investment Advisory Council to ensure continuous development of the state’s industry, and the formation of the Penang Manufacturing Industry Advisory Council as a communication platform between government agencies and private sector.
“Other initiatives include the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project which will drive the economy and future of Penang as an international, industrial and tourism state,” he added.
Story by Christopher Tan