Labuan: The island will be home to the nation's first duty-free premium outlet scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2019, in line with the announcement made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak when launching the Labuan Development Blueprint 2030 earlier in January.BVA Berhad in collaboration with Labuan Corporation held the ground breaking ceremony for the project at Kiamsam here on Friday, merely a month after the announcement of the project was made.The RM70 million premium outlet, expected to be completed within 15 months, will offer luxury goods and high-end products at a rate up to 30 per cent cheaper than most outlets elsewhere, due to its duty-free status.
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Sitting on a 6.8 acre prime land, BVO Premium Outlet boasts over 70 exclusive tenants offering an array of duty-free goods, from tobacco products to wine, perfumes, cosmetics and designer clothing.This new shopping belt from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Labuan International Campus connecting to the back of the Labuan International Golf Club is set to elevate the economy and tourism industry of the island.
According BVA Berhad founder Dato' Lawrence Low, on top of being a retail paradise, a 150 metre long park will be integrated inside the mall, enveloping guests with luscious greenery and cooling waters even as they undergo their retail therapy. A wide selection of cafes, restaurants, bistros and bars will also be available.Being the only outlet in the country, he said, BVO is expected to attract a vast number of avid shoppers, especially from neighbouring localities such as Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei.
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"In line with the Labuan Development Blueprint's objective of transforming the island into a smart and sustainable destination, the outlet also features a host of smart shopping facilities."These facilities include a mobile app, a smart delivery service system and a smart transit which are all created to introduce a whole new shopping experience for the people," he said.
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Lawrence cited that it has been projected that within three years, the number of visitors to the island will increase by 500 per cent, a staggering figure that will undoubtedly create steady stream of golden opportunities for Labuan.Labuan MP Datuk Rozman Isli said that BVA Berhad was one of the first investors to show major commitment for the development plans of the island and was the first party to take on and materialise a mega-project outlined in the Blueprint."It is time the outlet is built, only then can we fully leverage our duty-free status by creating a shopping haven here," he said.This duty-free outlet is also another clear indication that Labuan's free port status will remain intact even when the island becomes physically linked to the mainland, he explained."Commercial properties, resorts, condominiums and service apartments will be developed in the future along with a five-star hotel connected to the island's new esplanade within a walking distance," said Rozman.He added that developments from the area would stretch towards the Public Marina which would be upgraded and the entire area face-lifted with a hotel, water theme park, and other facilities.
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"We also need to ensure that when the bridge is ready the island is also ready to handle the influx of new investors and visitors and this outlet is one of the viable projects scheduled to do so," he cited.Also present at the ground-breaking ceremony were Senator Datuk Bashir Alias and Labuan Corporation Chief Executive Officer Datuk Azhar Ahmad. - Iffah Dilaney