KUALA LUMPUR, The government will continue to streamline the development framework of the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) for the next five years so that efforts to bridge the development gap between regions and attract more investments to the east coast can be realised. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said among the main drivers of growth for the region include industries related to the food basket, tourism, manufacturing (hard-to-abate) and the marine industry. The role of the logistics sector and renewable energy is also considered as an enabler for ECER. "This evening I chaired the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) Meeting Number 2 of 2024. I was informed that for the first three quarters of this year, ECER managed to record a total of RM13.3 billion in realised investment against the target of RM10 billion," he said on his Facebook account today. The Prime Minister said this amount involves 21 projects that are capable of creating 8,700 job opportunities in various indu stries, including steel manufacturing, petrochemicals, biomass products and tourism. He added that the success is in line with the wishes of the MADANI Government which always emphasises the importance of monitoring and facilitating the implementation of announced investments. Source: BERNAMA News Agency