THE Muara Port Company Sdn Bhd (MPC) yesterday unveiled its new service – the unstuffing activities of a Full Container Load (FCL) import container containing cargo for one consignee (one importer).

The new service is intended to improve the operation efficiency of the Muara Container Terminal (MCT) in line with the government’s Ease of Doing Business objectives and developing Muara Port as a gate way in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The service can now be executed at the Inland Container Depot (ICD), a dedicated facility owned by the Ports Department under the Ministry of Communications which is located about 1km away from the MCT gate.

This gives the consignees or the importers via respective forwarding agents options whether to have their containers delivered to their premises or to be unstuffed at the ICD.

Ultimately, the idea is to have all containers to be delivered out from the port as quickly as possible thus reducing dwell times of these containers at MCT.

Similarly, export FCL containers requiring stuffing activities can also utilise this facility before the containers are to be stowed onto the vessel for export.

Containers being unstuffed at the Inland Container Depot (ICD)

MPC as the newly appointed operator will strive to support Ease of Doing Business by reducing time taken to import for border compliance (from vessel arrival to clearance) and target to reduce time to under 32 hours as part of their commitment.

It is expected to give positive impact on movement of goods and fast track in connectivity for import, export and transit of goods within the BIMP-EAGA region along the ‘West economic corridor’.

This new additional facility will also be operated 24/7 which forwarders will have access to further provide efficient services to their respective consignees.

This initiative is a collaborative effort by the Ports Department under the Ministry of Communications, Royal Customs and Excise Department under the Ministry of Finance, the support by Brunei Freight Forwarders Association and other relevant stakeholders.

MPC, a newly-formed joint venture company between Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd and Beibu Gulf (HK) Ltd, is the new operator for the MCT since February 21.

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A FOUNDATION stone laying ceremony for the construction of a three-storey house on a plot of land at Lot 48227, Spg 51-10, Kampong Pengkalan Gadong, owned by Baitulmal, was held on yesterday by Badan Tanmiah Harta Majlis Ugama Islam.

Present yesteday as the guest of honour was Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, in his capacity as Chairman of the Badan Tanmiah Board of Directors; other members of the board and senior officials from Brunei Islamic Religious Council; as well as the director, officers and staff of Badan Tanmiah Harta Majlis Ugama Islam and Badan Tanmiah Petrol Station.

The construction of the house is one of Badan Tanmiah Harta Majlis Ugama Islam’s strategic investment plans to generate income through socio-economic development for the wellbeing of the Muslim community in Brunei Darussalam.

The project is expected to be completed within 12 months.

Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs in his capacity as Chairman of the Badan Tanmiah Board of Directors officiating the foundation stone laying ceremony – organised by Badan Tanmiah Harta Majlis Ugama Islam – for the construction of a three-storey house on a plot of land in Kampong Pengkalan Gadong yesterday

Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs touring the exhibition

Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, in his capacity as Chairman of the Badan Tanmiah Board of Directors, during the event

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|     Danial Norjidi     |

BRUNEIANS eat not only too much but also too much of wrong foods – that is the problem with their current diet.

They consume too much sugar and starchy carbohydrates. Just by reducing their amount, we can live healthier lives, said Dr Justin Wong Yun Yaw, Medical Superintendent of Public Health, in a recent interview with the Borneo Bulletin.

If this trend continues, Brunei’s next generation may have a shorter life expectancy than the current generation, he added.

Towards realising its vision of ‘Together towards a Healthy Nation’, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has highlighted the importance of instilling a culture of health and encouraging people to make healthy choices naturally. Developing a culture of health is one of the ministry’s big challenges and goals, Dr Justin noted.

He explained that having a culture of health means that making healthy choices is not just a chore that people do, but becomes a default option – people do it naturally.

As an example, he said that not many people view a trip to the supermarket as a matter of making a healthy choice, but he affirmed that, in reality, every food item you pick contributes to your overall health status.

Having a culture of health means that it becomes a norm for people to think about what they should do, what they should eat, when they should exercise etc – that this is incorporated in default into people’s everyday lives.

“So when we talk about culture, what we mean is three things really: It’s people’s knowledge and beliefs; their attitudes towards health; and their health practices.”

He noted that while it can be difficult for an individual to change his or her complete behaviour, “if you have a community surrounding you and supporting you, and you go through it together, then it becomes different. That’s what we mean by culture – where everyone believes and practices these kinds of beliefs. Not just individuals at a shop, but perhaps the shopkeeper as well. Even the producers of the foods will know about healthy foods. And when you go to a restaurant, it’s about healthy choices being available.”

“So it’s not just individual choice which matters for health outcomes, but it becomes shaping of the social environment determinants, the social cultural determinants that make up individual choice,” he continued. “Choice itself is not simply a standalone thing that people decide to do or other. It’s based on the options you have available to you, it’s based on what you’re used to and your knowledge, etc.

“So when we talk about building up a culture of health, it’s about ensuring that the healthy choice is the default choice – it’s the easy choice to make.”

On what it means to eat healthily, he said, “50 per cent of our diet should comprise of fruits and vegetables, with a quarter of lean protein and a quarter of carbohydrates. In a nutshell, that’s what a healthy plate looks.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) places great importance on instilling a culture of health and encouraging people to make healthy choices naturally. – MINISTRY OF HEALTH

“The problem with our diet currently, as it stands, is that we eat too much and we eat too much of the wrong things. So what are some of the wrong things? The major one is sugar, actually. Sugar plays a very strong determinant towards leading us to a healthy diet. If you think about it, one can of soft drink or even just a 3-in-1 packet of hot drink will actually contain more than our daily need for sugar. We call it our recommended daily allowance. It contains more than that already.

“So we consume far too much of it, and just by reducing the amount of sugar we consume, we can live healthier lives. So we’re not asking people to cut out sugar completely. Sugar is tasty and it makes food taste better, but it’s about being aware of how much sugar you’re putting in, being aware of what the safe limits are and when people are trying, for example, to lose weight, sugar is a major issue and hindrance to that.

“The second thing that we probably need to touch on as well is carbohydrates. We eat too many starchy carbohydrates. If you look at a typical plate in Brunei, you see not too many fruits and vegetables, a little bit of protein and quite a lot of carbs – so a big plate of noodles or rice. Carbohydrates are good, they’re essential for everyday consumption, but by and large we eat far too much of it.

“So we’re not just eating too much as a whole, we’re eating too much of the wrong kinds of things. What we’re not eating enough of is fruits and vegetables. Only eight per cent of people in Brunei consume five portions of fruits and vegetables a day. It should be 100 per cent, not eight per cent. And it’s worse in children – two per cent of them consume five portions of fruits and vegetables a day.

“So if this trend continues, then what we will see is the next generation may well have a shorter life expectancy than the current generation.”

The official highlighted that, with regard to being healthy, people aren’t lacking in knowledge in Brunei. “Knowledge and awareness-building is not so much an issue. Actually most people know that they should probably eat more vegetables. They know that they shouldn’t eat so much sugar, that maybe they should try and avoid sugary soft drinks. People know that. It’s the ready availability of some of these foods. We’re not saying limit the choices, we’re saying provide healthier choices.

“For example, it can be two kinds of teh tarik – it can be the regular kind or it can be the unsweetened kind. That’s not something where we say the choices are limited. In fact it’s providing more choices.

“In our surveys, most people want to live healthier lives, but they’re hindered by a lack of choices and lack of affordability, so one of our strategic priorities is working with the private sector to try and encourage them and build up a competitive advantage for them, in terms of offering healthier choices for individuals.”

On whether eating healthy costs more, he said, “This is a belief that is quite pervasive and quite common. So we have gone out to the districts, and one of the things is always about why does healthier food cost more? I think it’s about choosing what kind of food. So if you go to high-end restaurants, some of which choose to serve healthier food, of course it will cost more. But there is a lot of food available in Brunei that actually cost an equivalent amount to the less healthy options.

“So for example, if you go to the tamu, you can buy lots of fresh vegetables for a dollar. That’s not out of the price range for a lot of people.

“But we do want to make this point as well: In terms of healthier options, when speaking to private companies, one of the reasons why healthier food costs more is because it costs more to import, and because not a lot of people buy the product.

“So, if you increase the demand for the product, and then you can generate more sales and revenue, and then your profit margin doesn’t necessarily have to be as high for each particular product.

“Essentially, it’s a catch-22. People don’t want to buy it because it costs too much, but also it costs too much because not many people buy it.

“But actually, if you think about the locally produced foods that we already have, and this is part of the culture of health as well, it’s not just about finding food or whatever that’s trendy – so it’s not about eating kale, for example – but it’s about being sustainable.”

He also noted the carbon footprint of food, saying that when things are grown locally and don’t have a lot of carbon associated from import and shipment, they are probably better for the environment.

“I think this also ties in with the government’s broader agenda of supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs),” he said.

“Local MSMEs need to understand an advantage here for them. For example, if they keep providing nasi katok, and their only provision is nasi katok, people do want healthier choices, so if they can provide a healthier choice of particular boxed lunches or dinners, then actually they may stand to gain a competitive advantage over and above the other people in the market.

“How many people are doing healthier options of nasi katok, and at affordable cost? It’s not out of the question. There is a competitive advantage available for local businesses, particularly food industry, to try and develop along these lines.

“Cost plays a big determinant in what we buy, and it can be a driver or a motivator for purchasing certain products above others,” he said, sharing an example that if someone was at a supermarket and saw a soda selling for 20 cents more than diet soda, it would play into that person’s decision-making process.

On whether the ministry is looking into raising awareness on how to cook healthy food, he said, “We’re working with the food industry first, and then we want to engage the people who provide weight-loss services and help them see how their services can be expanded in other directions.”

He added that concrete plans are in place for an initiative to teach people how to cook healthily with local and affordable ingredients. This is an initiative of the Ministry of Health.

Dr Justin also noted that the MoH recently launched its healthier choice initiative, which involves restaurants, food industry, manufacturers and retailers. Under this initiative, the ministry has a logo that they can put on certain products that meet their nutrient guidelines. This is so that when people go to the shop they don’t have to read the label in terms of what the salt and sugar content etc are, but instead see a logo that marks a product as a healthier choice that’s endorsed by the Ministry of Health.

“We want to make it easier for people and more visible for people so that they can easily choose the healthier options that they want, because they are out there,” he said.

He also noted, in terms of physical activity, the introduction of Bandarku Ceria, Bangarku Ceria, Kuala Belaitku Ceria and Tutongku Ceria.

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|     Hakim Hayat     |

THE Brunei Government’s social media account has been named the most active in the world, according to a study conducted by Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communication firm.

The study titled ‘World Leaders on Instagram’ is the US-based firm’s latest research into how world leaders, governments and international organisations communicate via social media and its findings were based on 325 accounts maintained by the different countries.

The report, released earlier this month based on a 12-month-long analytics study, found that the Information Department of the Prime Minister’s Office’s (PMO) Instagram account @infodept.bn which maintains some 19,000 followers is the most active government account in the world, with more than 16 posts per day on average.

Behind Brunei is the Foreign Ministry of Kuwait with 6.6 posts per day while the US President’s Instagram account @realdonaldtrump is in the 10th place with an average of 2.8 posts daily, according to the report.

The Instagram account @infodept.bn which was only introduced in recent years is maintained by the Information Department and posts on a daily basis a blend of local news reports published by its tri-weekly Malay Language newspaper Pelita Brunei on government events, current affairs, sports, the royal family as well as important government announcements.

The department also maintains an active Facebook and Twitter account.

Pelita Brunei also maintains a website which publishes daily online news and has just recently introduced an online e-paper platform.

Photo shows a smartphone user scrolling the Information Department’s Instagram account @infodept.bn which is named the most active government social media in a new study. – HAKIM HAYAT

The Information Department, which carries the motto ‘Nurturing an Informed Society’, was established on April 1, 1952 and celebrated its 65th anniversary earlier this month.

According to its mission and vision statement available on its website, the department is responsible in leading the dissemination of official information based on the Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB), highlighting the image of the monarchy and the country and upholding the Brunei Vision 2035 through the dissemination of official information that leads towards national unity and welfare.

In its executive summary of the report, Burson-Marsteller said the most active governments and world leaders have discovered Instagram as a formidable channel to post pictures of their daily activities and their Instagram accounts have become the central repository for all official government pictures.

It added that the heads of state and government, as well as foreign ministers of 140 countries currently have personal and institutional accounts on Instagram, representing 72.5 per cent of all 193 United Nations (UN) member states.

The report also said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the most followed world leader on Instagram with 6.8 million followers, closely followed by US President Donald J Trump with 6.3 million followers.

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo @Jokowi has seen a 673 per cent growth of his followers over the past 12 months, putting him in fifth position. Queen Rania of Jordan; Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai; Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei complete the Top 10 list.

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|      Fadhil Yunus      |

VIPERS and UTB Vanguards endorsed their support to witness the sport of touch rugby grow in the country following their triumphs in the Sharks Women Touch Rugby Annual Touch Tournament at UBD Field ‘A’ of the UBD Sports Complex last weekend.

The newly-crowned winners called for increased participation and lauded the efforts of the organisers Sharks Women Touch for providing the platform to host a competitive tournament.

“We joined because we love the sport and also playing alongside and against friends which was greater fun and less pressure,” said Fafa of women category winners UTB Vanguards.

“Hopefully there will be more tournaments to come and more teams to join to help grow this beautiful sport in the country,” the UTB Vanguards representative further said.

“If only there were more teams that participated in this tournament, it would’ve been even better!” said Waie Mitdihe of Vipers Rugby.

Both Vipers and UTB Vanguards also expressed their admiration for the sport with the former showcasing never-say-die attitude during their time together.

“Vipers Rugby had many failures in the beginning but we got back up and kept playing because we love the sport.”

Vipers, who clinched the men’s open category title, started with a group of friends in 2012 curious enough to try out the sport and have since enjoyed their recent success.

Vipers, men’s open category winners of the Sharks Women Touch Rugby Annual Touch Tournament, in a group picture. – FADHIL YUNUS

“We are quite happy with what we have achieved so far,” Waie added before thanking the Sharks Women Touch for organising the tournament.

Tournament Head and President of Sharks Women Touch Nur Afiqah expressed her gratitude to UBD Rugby, Universiti Brunei Darussalam Undergraduates Association (PMUBD) & UBD Sharks Women Touch for supporting the event as well as the participants.

“Alhamdulillah, we have formed another new rugby association especially for women under UBD Rugby, which is Sharks Women Touch,” said its president.

“We are trying our best to expose rugby to the youth especially in Brunei Darussalam and looking forward for any upcoming events and also we (UBD Rugby Administration) are trying to have rugby talks and seminars mainly to high schools and other educational institutions to show and tell them what rugby is all about,” concluded the president.

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|      Izah Azahari      |

BROTHER International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a leader in consumer and business IT products and solutions with a ‘customer-first’ approach, yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bilster Technologies Brunei, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Concepts Group of Companies and one of the country’s leading IT-related businesses, at the Concept Computers office in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Present to sign on behalf of Bilster Technologies Brunei was Vincent Pao, the General Manager of Concepts Group of Companies, while Brother International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd was represented by Itsuo Segawa, Country Head of Brother International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

The purpose of the MoU was to mark Brother’s official foray into the Brunei market, and also for Bilster Technologies to be the only company to officially bring Brother, a reputable Japanese brand with over 115 years of history, to local consumers.

This MoU marks the commitment both organisations have towards growing the market and brand acceptance as Brother seeks to become the brand of choice not only among home consumers, but also the small and medium enterprises and Corporate customers.

The General Manager of Concepts Group of Companies, Vincent Pao, signing the Memorandum of Understanding with Itsuo Segawa, Country Head of Brother International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. – IZAH AZAHARI

“This MoU is an important step for Brother in the Brunei market as it has been our aim to find a reputable business partner here to do business with, said Segawa.

“Bilster Technologies fits this role perfectly, and we are excited to grow the brand and the business here with them in both the retail and corporate market sectors.”

Bilster Technologies will carry a competitive range of Brother products – from the award-winning inkjet and laser printers as well as multi-function centres to handy label and mobile printers.

The General Manager of Concepts Group of Companies, meanwhile, said that they are delighted to be able to work with Brother, as it is a reputed Japanese company and brand that focuses on quality and consistency, to build the Brunei market together. “With a strong focus from both sides, we are confident that we will be able to quickly grow awareness of the brand, and that consumers here in Brunei will be happy to accept this brand and products that we offer,” added Vincent.

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|     Hakim Hayat     |

STAKEHOLDERS in the health sector within this region should continue to work closely with each other to combat health issues such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by adopting new mechanisms beyond the traditional approach to public health education, as ongoing global challenges warrant more intervention, Dr Hajah Maslina binti Haji Mohsin, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Professional) at the Ministry of Health (MoH) urged yesterday.

Dr Hajah Maslina made this call in her welcoming speech while chairing the 12th Asean Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) and its related meetings at the MoH building in Commonwealth Drive.

This year’s SOMHD, which will run for three days, is hosted by the MoH and is attended by over 100 delegates comprising senior health officials from Asean, China, Japan and South Korea.

She stated that a multi-sectoral approach is vital to combating NCDs which are causing many deaths in the region.

Dr Hajah Maslina added that this issue remains an ongoing challenge, particularly in terms of its impact on healthcare systems and socioeconomic development. She also commented that much of the world’s burden of disease arises from unhealthy behaviour, but people, she noted, still struggle to change these behaviours even if they have the awareness, intention and ability to do so.

On this ground, she stressed that the issue needs better understanding and that the traditional approach of just providing health education to the public is no longer sufficient.

“We need to look deeper and apply other mechanisms such as behavioural insights as a way to improve healthcare outcomes,” she further recommended.

Dr Hajah Maslina also stressed the need for countries involved to continue cooperating to address common health challenges in the region, such as emerging diseases, globalisation of travel and trade, increasing disease drug resistance, and universal health coverage. She also emphasised the need to ensure that the outcomes from the SOMHD meeting are in line with the Asean Post-2015 Health Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Hajah Maslina binti Haji Mohsin, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Professional) at the Ministry of Health

Dr Justin Wong, Medical Superintendent of Public Health at the Ministry of Health. – PHOTOS: HAKIM HAYAT

An overview of the 12th Asean Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD)

One member of the meeting’s technical committee, Dr Justin Wong, Medical Superintendent of Public Health at MoH, said the annual meeting will assess the implementation of the mission outlines from the previous meeting, and also focus on implementing activities and delivering joint statements which will be highlighted at the Asean Health Ministers’ Meeting (AHHM), which Brunei will host later this year.

Four main agendas will be discussed in the AHHM: Promoting a healthy lifestyle, responding to all hazards and emerging threats, strengthening health systems and access to care, and ensuring food safety.

Dr Wong shared that some of the issues central to Brunei’s health sector in the AHHM meeting would be NCDs such as diabetes and obesity, which is part of the SOMHD’s Action Plan.

“Through this meeting, we would be able to learn and share best practices from other countries because country-to-country health issues in this region share commonalities – what happens in other countries also affect us,” he said, also citing the recent outbreak of communicable diseases such as the Zika virus as an example.

Rodora Turalde Babaran, Director of Human Development Directorate at the Asean Secretariat, said through this meeting they hope to be able to consider and decide on certain priorities on health development.

She said that the meeting will include the following agenda and discussion topics: The promotion of a healthy lifestyle; addressing NCDs; addressing the issue of emerging infectious diseases; the response to all health hazards, emergency threats and other pandemic threats; other issues such as antimicrobial resistance; the adoption of a document discussing ways to end all forms of malnutrition; follow-up actions to end HIV/AIDS; and also discussions on disaster health management.

Meanwhile, the MoH in a press statement said that these discussions are highly relevant to Brunei, as they are well aligned and in congruence with the ministry’s three strategic priorities: To inculcate the message “health is everyone’s business”, to prevent and control NCDs, and to deliver excellence in healthcare through the consolidation and realignment of the country’s healthcare services.

“Brunei Darussalam will play an important role in steering the SOMHD and AHHM meetings this year towards achieving valuable outcomes to improve the health and wellbeing of all in the country and the region,” added the press statement.

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|      Danial Norjidi      |

THE first business-to-business e-commerce platform in China, DHgate.com began a two-day bootcamp yesterday to train and upgrade local businesses on cross-border trade using e-commerce.

Held at the Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Advancement (ILIA) Building of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), the Cross Border E-Commerce Training (CBET) Bootcamp was organised by DARe (Darussalam Enterprise) in collaboration with DHgate and UBD. It was held for some 100 participants comprising owners and representatives of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as students.

Yesterday saw the workshop touch on the topics of cross-border e-commerce ecosystem, online marketing, product selection, global logistics and customer relationship management.

Tony Tao, the Vice-President of DHgate speaking at the opening, thanked Javed Ahmad, Managing Director/CEO of DARe and Soon Loo, the CEO of the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) “for organising this very meaningful event” which he said will introduce a very innovative new business model of cross-border e-commerce for SMEs in Brunei.

“In the past several years, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has reached a consensus that cross-border e-commerce is one of the best ways to empower SMEs to access the global market,” he said.

Tony Tao, Vice-President of DHgate. – PHOTOS: DANIAL NORJIDI

Javed Ahmad, Managing Director/CEO of DARe

Soon Loo, CEO of BEDB

Speaking on how can e-commerce help SMEs, he said, “At the end of 2015, the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business released a report about the benefit of e-commerce for SMEs, which says that around two thirds of e-commerce exports survive the first year of business, and exporting to around 30-40 different economies, comparing to the traditional trading companies, of which only one third survive year one, and only export to three to four economies.

“However, the biggest challenge for empowering SMEs to access the global market is the lack of awareness,” he continued.

“And that’s why I’m so glad that DARe and BEDB have the wisdom to acknowledge the trend and bring industry experts here to benefit all of you.”

“The CBET was initiated by ABAC (APEC Business Advisory Council) China to improve the awareness of the opportunities of cross-border e-commerce. Since then, we have trained around 1,000 of SMEs from over 10 APEC countries.”

He explained that the cross-border training session will bring industry experts give explanations on all sections of cross-border e-commerce, which include product selection, international logistics, cross-border payments, online marketing and services.

“In China, cross-border e-commerce has become a driving force for SMEs development. In 2013, China surpassed the United States to become the number one e-commerce market in the world,” he said.

“According to McKinsey, by 2025, around 22 per cent of China’s GDP will be contributed by e-commerce. E-commerce has changed their way of sourcing and selling. They can now source from any place in China and sell to almost any customers in the world.”

“So on the global stage, cross-border e-commerce and SMEs are having a marriage. I hope this two-day session can get you a brief understanding of the value chains in e-commerce and learn the best practices from real-life case studies and figure out how to integrate cross-border e-commerce into your daily business.

“At the end, I wish you all to embrace the changes ahead of us, take advantage of it and be successful,” he added.

The workshop will continue today with hands-on skills training on purchasing through an e-commerce platform and selling through a smart phone app.

Meanwhile, Soon Loo in his remarks said, “This is not just training, but the start of a great relationship between DHgate and Brunei.

“We have people who are very tech savvy. At one point we were ranked first for the most penetrated Facebook population in the whole of Asia. If you look at the rankings, it’s either Singapore or Brunei that are ranked top in terms of digital media penetration.

“So we are very excited to leverage the strength of our people together with the strength of our partners.

“The world is changing at a pace where opportunities are opening up. In Southeast Asia, the digital economy is opening up, and Brunei has an advantage. But this advantage is not something to be taken for granted, and is something that we have to heavily go into.” He said that it is “very fortunate” that “such a large contingency” of 10 experts from DHgate is in the country, and urged the bootcamp participants “to really learn from this”.

He highlighted the goal is not what will happen over the next two days, but whether Brunei has online sales at the end of the year. “That’s what we can aim for. If we do, I think we have many good opportunities for Brunei moving forward. If we don’t, we really waste the opportunity.”

“I would say for this generation, this is one of the best opportunities that we have on e-commerce. We look forward to a very successful collaboration between DHgate and Brunei,” he added.

Javed Ahmad in his welcoming remarks said, “I think we are really fortunate to have DHgate – one of the leaders in providing platforms for businesses to create a market platform where you will be able to do business on a global basis so that ultimately borders are no longer relevant.

“For this workshop, I’m most grateful to DHgate for sending such a large and diverse group of experts who will provide knowledge and share experience with you, not only theoretically but practically.”

DHgate was founded in 2004, with approximately 10 million global buyers from 230 countries and regions, with 1.4 million sellers offering 40 million products. The platform allows buyers to directly purchase and connect with global manufacturers from leading brands.

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|      Fizah HAB      |

THE Brunei Government views sports as a means to increase the level of fitness in people while also inculcating the spirit of patriotism, discipline and competitiveness among them.

This was stated by Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports at a sports meeting attended by 50 national sports associations at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Berakas yesterday.

Haji Noor Jusmin bin Haji Abdul Samad, Permanent Secretary at the MCYS, members of national sports associations and senior officers of the ministry were also present.

The minister added that developing sports and physical activities is to promote a sense of belonging and unity among people.

“While the main focus of major sporting events is to collect medals, the aim of having the community participate in sports has not been ignored; all parties should work together to achieve this,” said the minister. “Brunei Darussalam has 35 sports facilities, each having helped sports associations to produce active, resilient, high-spirited and competitive citizens.”

Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports at the meeting. – PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI

The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in a group photo

The minister also highlighted the need to encourage active participation in sports activities at schools.

“Methods that can be used to encourage active participation in physical activities include empowering a culture of sports through outreach programmes among students across all levels in cooperation with the media,” he added.

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|     James Kon     |

BAIDURI Bank unveiled Baiduri Visa Infinite and Baiduri Platinum credit cards yesterday

With the launching of the two premium credit cards, cardholders are now able to enjoy increased benefits such as access to airport lounges worldwide and discounts through DragonPass as well as the new payWave features, top officials of the bank
said during a press conference held at The Empire Hotel & Country Club.

Details of the enhanced benefits for current and new Baiduri Visa Infinite and Platinum cardholders were also revealed during the conference, whose panel comprised Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank; Roy Wong, Head of Business Development for Singapore and Brunei of Visa Worldwide; Becky Lim, CEO of DragonPass Asia Pacific; Ti Eng Hui, Deputy CEO of Baiduri Bank; and Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network of Baiduri Bank.

DragonPass is a comprehensive digital solution, offering a unique and seamless “total airport experience” for cardholders, giving them up to 24 complimentary annual access to over 850 airport lounges worldwide, discounts of up to 50 per cent at over 2,000 airport restaurants, and up to 20 per cent off retail rates for airport limo transfers.

Meanwhile, payWave offers a convenient contactless pay-ment solution, and customers need only to “tap and go” for purchases under B$100, without the need to for their signature.

Pierre Imhof, in his opening remarks highlighted that Baiduri Bank had always been in the forefront of innovation; constantly developing new and cutting-edge products and services to give their customers high levels of satisfaction.

Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank; Roy Wong, Head of Business Development of Visa Worldwide for Singapore and Brunei; Becky Lim, CEO of DragonPass Asia Pacific as well as senior management from the banks and stakeholders with the newly-launched premium credit cards. – JAMES KON

On embracing digital trans-formation in the financial services, Imhof revealed, “We have upgraded both the Baiduri Visa Infinite and Baiduri Visa Platinum Credit Cards to carry the payWave feature and included a membership to DragonPass, a revolutionary digital airport companion programme, so that our customers can be among the first to experience these cutting-edge digital experiences in Brunei and when they go travelling.”

Meanwhile, Roy Wong high-lighted Visa’s commitment to help Bruneians adapt to a cashless method of payment. “Our objective is to ensure that we continue introducing products and solutions that accelerate Brunei’s transition into a cashless society,” Wong said.

Becky Lim, CEO of DragonPass Asia Pacific shared that “cardholders can access the airport convenience programme through user-friendly apps on their smartphones, and with the digital membership card in the app, they can enjoy complimentary lounge access in over 900 airport lounges globally. Cardholders can also enjoy discounts of up to 50 per cent at airport restaurants.”

Pengiran Azaleen explained that the DragonPass feature will come into effect on May 1 for all existing and new Baiduri Visa Infinite and Platinum cardholders.

Holders of the Baiduri Visa Infinite and Baiduri Visa Platinum credit cards are also able to enjoy up to 24 months of interest-free instalments on big purchases. Instalment tenures are flexible and require no processing fee.

From March 31 to June 30, customers who apply for a Baiduri Visa Infinite or Baiduri Visa Platinum credit card can enjoy up to two per cent cashback on their overseas spending, online purchases and Visa payWave transactions.

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|     Lyna Mohamad     |

IN LINE with the theme of ‘Innovating Mindset, Empowering People’ for the Borneo Bulletin Yearbook (BBYB) of 2017, Brunei Press Sdn Bhd hosted a business networking session yesterday at the Radisson Hotel in Bandar Seri Begawan.

The event was attended by key management personnel from the private sector and government-linked companies (GLCs), enabling both local and international industry players to meet, exchange ideas and spark potential business synergy.

Reggie See, General Manager of Brunei Press, in a welcoming address said that the BBYB – which is distributed for free to subscribers of Borneo Bulletin and Media Permata – was established after taking into account the needs of customers, readers and business travellers.

According to Reggie See, when the yearbook was first introduced and published in 1993, compiling updated information on Brunei proved to be a challenging and almost impossible task.

Over the years, the BBYB has become an indispensable guide to Brunei Darussalam for both businesses and foreign visitors. It has even accompanied local authorities on official overseas trips and business events.

“The Borneo Bulletin Yearbook… is very widely distributed, and is one of the most complimentary takeaways at the moment from Brunei, by visitors and businesses,” he said.

To enhance the global availability of the yearbook, a digital version of the BBYB has been made available, which also provides BBYB clientele and listed advertisers with a wider platform to promote their products and services.

Guests at the Brunei Press Sdn Bhd’s business networking session held in conjunction with the release of the Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2017, at the Radisson Hotel in Bandar Seri Begawan, yesterday

Guests at the business networking session

Photos above & below show guests taking a closer look at the Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2017 released yesterday, at the business networking session hosted by Brunei Press Sdn Bhd. – PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR

With a circulation of 50,000 copies, the BBYB is a comprehensive guide to Brunei Darussalam that comes packed with information on business opportunities as well as current information on the country’s developments and diversification efforts. It also features thriving industries, and carries updated information on the Brunei Government administration. The Borneo Bulletin food Guide is also issued free with the BBYB 2017.

Mohd Afif, who is originally from Kuala Lumpur and currently attached to Microsoft Brunei as Manager for the Southeast Asia Market, told the Bulletin that he looks forward to receiving his copy of  the BBYB. He has read previous editions and finds it a good introduction to the country, especially when attempting to understand the culture as well as its economic landscape.

Jerome van Helden, General Manager of the Radisson Hotel, found it “very detailed about the Brunei economy and about what is happening here. It is a great guide for us to use, and for people who have just arrived in Brunei”. He also agrees that it is an ideal souvenir for their guests, “as it contains complete and very thorough research”.

The BBYB can be found at all local hotels, as well as foreign embassies and high commissions based in Brunei Darussalam. Its online version can be viewed online at www.borneobulletinyearbook.com.bn.

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|     Hakim Hayat     |

BRUNEI citizens can visit the Russian Far East without visas, the Russian Prime Minister said.

A list of 18 countries including Brunei Darussalam has been approved whose citizens can obtain electronic single entry business, tourist or humanitarian visas when entering the Russian Federation through checkpoints at the free port of Vladivostok, Dmitry Medvedev announced on Monday.

Apart from Brunei, the list includes Algeria, Bahrain, India, Qatar, People’s Republic of China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, Turkey and Japan.

According to the prime minister, the move is expected to facilitate trade and investment into the area and enhance bilateral ties.

“This initiative is aimed at enhancing the investment appeal of the region and expanding business ties by facilitating projects involving foreign companies and attracting more foreign tourists,” he said in a statement.

The new move will simplify visa procedures for foreign nationals arriving in the Russian Federation through border checkpoints located within the free port of Vladivostok.

“The citizens of these countries shall benefit from simplified procedures when obtaining visas of up to 30 days with a period of stay in the Russian Federation not exceeding eight days. These visas can be executed as e-documents,” added the statement.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev

Meanwhile, the Russian Prime Minister told Russia News Agency TASS that under the new procedure, businessmen and tourists will not need to undergo the traditional Russian visa procedure. “It will be enough for foreigners to enter their data on a special website on the Internet,” Medvedev added.

He said the government is proactively forming modern infrastructure and creating special regimes in the Far East, adding that the law on visits to the Vladivostok free port was approved in March.

“Cancellation of visa procedures for tourists and businessmen will promote growth of investment and tourist attractiveness of the Far East,” Medvedev said.

Brunei Darussalam and Russia celebrated 25 years of diplomatic relations last year and has since then deepened relations in the political, economic and cultural areas.

In a message to mark the 25th anniversary last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored that both sides have accumulated significant experience of fruitful bilateral cooperation and expressed his confidence that based on the achieved results, Russia-Brunei ties will continue to strengthen in all fields. This, the President said, meets the fundamental interest of the peoples of our countries and is in line with the goal to ensuring stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

Vladlen Semivolos, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Brunei Darussalam shared last October that Brunei and Russia are negotiating on two important documents – the memorandum on mutual understanding between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education of Brunei Darussalam on cooperation in higher education and science as well as the inter-governmental visa waiver agreement.

“We are convinced that these documents will open up a new era in the bilateral student, academic and tourist exchanges and we look forward to their early signing,” he said.

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|     James Kon     |

BRUNEIANS can heave a sigh of relief as threatening war clouds gradually dissipate over the Korean Peninsula.

The Korean Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Cho Won-myung yesterday reassured Bruneian parents on the safety of their children currently studying in the Republic of Korea, saying that the possibility of a war is quite low despite the growing tension between North Korea and the US.

“Most experts have commented that there is very low possibility of a war breaking out in the Korean Peninsula. In my observation, Trump’s remarks in recent days have put further pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes,” the envoy said.

There are some 85 Bruneian students currently studying in Korea who are either on exchange programmes, under Korean Government scholarship or on private funding.

“I can read that leaders of both China and the US prefer a peaceful resolution instead of using force in order to resolve the nuclear and ballistic missile issue,” the Korean Ambassador told the Bulletin.

Korean Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Cho Won-myung

Although the Korean Peninsula is currently shrouded in high tension, it’s highly unlikely that a war will break out, he said.

He also pointed out that the spokesman at the Ministry of Defence of Korea has highlighted that without consultation or agreement between South Korea and US, no action will be taken.

“For several decades, there has been tension in the Korean Peninsula which has seen ups and downs. As we have experienced high tensions on several occasions, the government of Korea has readied contingency plans including for evacuation of foreigners,” the envoy noted.

There are more than 450 Koreans currently staying in Brunei, an increase compared to 2014 when there were 180 Koreans residing in the country. The increase in numbers is attributed to the various projects undertaken by Korean construction company Daelim in the Sultanate.

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|      Fadhil Yunus       |

DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean has highlighted the urgency for spectating players to take better positioning amid a worrisome defensive line ahead of his side’s Great Eastern-Hyundai S League match against Geylang International FC at the Bedok Stadium tonight.

The head coach touched on the team’s shape behind the ball whereby the players’ without the ball must not be out of position once an attacking team-mate surrenders possession.

Kean highlighted that the goals which have been conceded originated from a counter-attack with the players’ positioning giving opposition an edge in providing lethal attacks on the final third.

The head coach indicated that the players are reacting to a situation when their opponents’ take control of the play rather than being proactive where they should be in a better position.

“When we’re attacking, the guys that are behind the ball be much more attentive and much more almost thinking that his team-mate is going to lose the ball, where am I and where’s the opponent and get in a better shape,” said Kean in an interview with the Bulletin after a training session at the Jerudong Mini Stadium on Tuesday.

“That’s what we’ve been working on all week and I’m sure that will be better next game.”

Asked about the team’s confidence after another home defeat, Kean replied, “It’s my job to get back on the training ground and to put on the session and remind them obviously the things that we’re poor during the game.

“There were poor goals scored against us so we’ve worked on that a lot but then also on the flipside to remember that the first few games of the season even though we didn’t win we played well against the two teams that sat on the top of the league.

DPMM FC head coach Kean. – FILE PHOTO

“Then, we win a game and then we went backwards again so we’ve got to do an analysis of why we conceded the goals, put on the session and then put that right so that don’t happen again.”

The head coach also indicated that there is no time to reflect on the losses for a long period of time and move on for the next competitive fixture.

“You can dwell on for a day or two the negatives of the previous game of the loss and put that right. Then you’ve got to move forward and you’ve got to focus on the next game because you don’t have too much time to feel sorry for yourself,” he further continued.

“You’ve got to pick yourself up, put right what we didn’t do well the last game and put together a positive game plan to go get points so that’s what we’ve done and you can feel the atmosphere changing again.

“Good results breathe confidence and bad results breathe a bit of negativity earlier on in the week but that’s why you come in the next day, you get your training kit on, you get out onto the field, you got through it and then the atmosphere slowly turns again.”

He added the need to carry a positive mind in every match and must eradicate fear as well as striving to build a good run of games together.

The head coach has also admitted that they have to improve their passing while maintaining that the defensive positioning should be better.

The post Kean calls for better team shape appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|      Fadhil Yunus      |

MS ABDB have been crowned Brunei DST Sumbangsih Cup winners for the third time after edging Indera SC 2-1 in an enthralling contest at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium last night.

The double league and cup winners fell behind after Indera SC’s Md Asri bin Haji Aspar opened the scoring in the 19^th minute but a brace by Razimie Ramlli in the second half turned the tie on its head.

MS ABDB striker Abdul Azizi bin Ali Rahman narrowly missed the top corner after connecting a good cross while in the opposite end Indera SC Md Ammil Rahman Ramlee fired a decent effort wide in the closing stages of the first half in an opportunity to double his side’s lead.

Razimie showed lethal instincts to pounce his team’s leveller in the 63^rd minute before finding the winner in the 88^th minute after Md Fadhli bin Haji Awang Salleh’s initial effort rebounded off Indera SC’s shot-stopper Md Ahsanuddin bin Haji Md Dani.

However, Indera SC spurned two gilt-edged opportunities to end the regulation time in a draw after Md Zulkhairy Razali skied his effort wide after being teed up by a team-mate before failing to connect a header in the same spot as injury time loomed.

MS ABDB team manager Major (A) Hasnul Alwe bin Haji Matassan was proud of his charges after defending their Sumbangsih Cup title.

MS ABDB manager and team captain receiving the champions’ trophy. – PHOTOS: KHAIRIL HASSAN

The champions in a group photo

“We are proud to be called as back-to-back winners of the Sumbangsih Cup and for a third time,” he said in an interview with the Bulletin.

It was the first taste of success for Major (A) Hasnul since taking over the reins from former manager Major (A) Razanol Hardi bin Abdul Razak.

The army personnel had the second half planned out with the introduction of similarly good players in the 70^th minute to adopt a pressing game taking into the account that the opposition’s stamina may have dropped.

“When we trailed 1-0, my players have been trained to use the right mentality, control and find their rhythm,” said MS ABDB head coach Bintara Haji Mesli bin Haji Dullah.

The guest of honour at the event was Amir bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Bijaya Colonel (Rtd) Dato Paduka Haji Hussin, Assistant General Manager of DST Group IT Services, who presented the prizes.

The post MS ABDB win Sumbangsih Cup appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|    Danial Norjidi    |

WITH its geostrategic position, the support of government initiatives and natural resources, Brunei Darussalam has a lot to offer as a viable and attractive destination for potential foreign direct investment (FDI), and Siemens is ready to support potential investors with the efficient and productive implementation of projects.

Dr Armin Bruck, the President and CEO of Siemens Pte Ltd, Singapore said this while speaking in an interview with the Bulletin yesterday.

Asked for his thoughts on Brunei as an investment destination, he said, “I understand it’s, first of all, from a geostrategic position quite interesting for many investors. It’s also supported by a lot of government initiatives to make it financially viable and attractive for investors.

“Having oil and gas by nature attracts certain industries, like the fertiliser industry for example, or whatever is combined with refinery industry,” he said, adding that, for such industries, Brunei could be “a good destination”.

“And then, coming from there, automatically a second level of industries might follow.”

On how Siemens can support FDIs, he said, “We provide the full value chain for these customers who bring the FDI, be it in the factory setup, be it in electrification, be it in the automation of their factory to make their factories highly efficient and productive.”

President and CEO of Siemens Pte Ltd (Singapore) Dr Armin Bruck, left, with Country Manager (Brunei) Kamaljit Singh Gill. – BAHYIAH BAKIR

They provide a highly efficient factory management system and fully automated technology for industry, he highlighted.

Siemens has been in Brunei for nearly 20 years and is active in all its divisions, especially Power and Gas, Power Generation Services, Health, Energy Management, and Building Technologies.

They are represented locally through a local office and also have a team of local business partners.

Dr Bruck shared that Brunei has been “an interesting and attractive market for us, and usually Siemens likes to stay for a long while, and normally comes to stay, so we also believe in the future of Brunei.”

He noted that current oil prices present a challenge, “but we strongly believe and we see certain indication in the market that this might improve in the near future.”

“So we are here, we are ready to support government stakeholders as well as investors in (Brunei’s) market and together we can probably make a really viable and promising business.”

On Siemens’ plans for the future in Brunei, he said that once a FDI is ready to start, “we are definitely there to support them, to make the implementation highly efficient and productive for them, which is important.”

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|    Danial Norjidi    |

BRUNEI Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP) has been working to increase efficiency, eliminate waste and be more productive, and one notable achievement in this regard has been in its wireline operations.

The company said in a press release yesterday that despite low oil price posing a challenge to the industry, the situation is also an opportunity for BSP “to improve and become a more competitive company”.

In support of the company’s ‘Line in the Sand: Fit for the Future’ strategy, inter-discipline and inter-department teams have been formed across the organisation, and in close collaboration with its business partners, BSP said that it is rising to the challenge.

These integrated improvement efforts and creative thinking have led to efficiency gains, which is one of many routes to ensure BSP will be “fit for the future”. The cost-saving improvements were achieved through improved productivity – achieving more with the same resources – with no impact on employment and contracts.

“‘Fit for the Future’ is all about what BSP needs to do now, to make sure it is here for generations to come,” said Dr Ceri M Powell, the Managing Director of BSP. “Much can be done when there is innovative thinking, focus, close collaboration, and motivated and determined people.”

Some members of BSP’s integrated wireline team in a group photo. – BSP

A recent example of this is in wireline operations, where BSP has successfully converted one wireline unit onshore and one wireline unit offshore into 24-hour operations.

Wirelines use a reel of wire to gain access deep inside a well. This technique is used to take measurements in a well, to open or close different producing zones as well as to add or remove equipment in the well to enhance production.

Initial results showed the productivity of wireline crews increased more than 300 per cent with a reduction in cost of more than 50 per cent, and delivering more barrels of oil than planned if the team had continued with a 12-hour operation.

The contractor involved is SC Oilfields and Logistics Sdn Bhd, a local Bruneian company with a workforce of 90 per cent Bruneian.

“I am very proud of the focussed and persistent effort by an integrated team from Wells, Production Operations, Planning, Petroleum Engineering, HSE, Logistics and our contractors. In addition to delivering the scope safely, all of this was done by coordinating existing resources and with no additional spend,” Dr Ceri Powell shared.

The team is now closely monitoring the 24-hour operations for sustainability and to understand how to further replicate them.

“These are exciting times and with teams across BSP proactively looking to improve how they do things, we expect more success of this nature in the near future,” she added.

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|    James Kon    |

AS A local bank, Baiduri Bank remains committed to promote financial literacy among the public, in line with Brunei National Savings Day’s aspiration to increase the level of financial literacy in Brunei Darussalam.

Under the Junior Achievement (JA) programme, Baiduri Bank, with the support of the Ministry of Education, is actively going to schools to disseminate financial information to students. This year, Baiduri Bank is targeting to hold financial literacy activities for sixth form centres.

The bank has also participated in the financial literacy roadshow organised by Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) in schools to commemorate the National Savings Day and will also participate in a Financial Fun Fair for the second time on April 30 at the Jerudong Park Playground.

Pierre Imhof, the CEO of Baiduri Bank, in an interview yesterday said, “We fully agree with the AMBD to educate the public on financial literacy and to promote the ability for the public to save. The first step is for the public to under-stand financial matters which means educating the public and transmitting the right information on financial matters on spending and saving through proper financial planning for the future.”

Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network of Baiduri Bank, added, “When we talk about literacy, we talk about education. The role of the bank as a financial expert is to transmit the concept of financial literacy to people who may not understand it. The challenge is to make this concept easily understandable.”

Pierre Imhof, the CEO of Baiduri Bank with Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network of Baiduri Bank. – JAMES KON

Imhof agreed, saying it is important for the younger generation to fully understand financial matters.

“Our role is to go to school to meet students through the JA programme,” he said.

For the public, he revealed that the bank has a free financial health check carried out by 42 financial planners in the branches who can provide financial advice.

Pengiran Azaleen also shared that Baiduri Bank is invited to private and government institutions to give talks on financial planning. “It’s an ongoing process… The bank is also involved in pre-wedding courses for Muslim couples where we provide advice on financial planning.”

Findings of a 2015 study on national financial literacy had shown a lack of financial literacy in the majority of the respondents, including young adults.

The CEO of Baiduri Bank commented that the findings provided an understanding of the situation and indicated more progress is needed. “The study justifies that we are right to start early in educating the youths and provide financial advice to the public.”

Pengiran Azaleen said the statistics can help the bank come up with ideas and a programme focussed towards a targeted segment of the community for “an everlasting impact”.

With the uncertain economy, Imhof advised the public to spend in line with their available income. “If you spend beyond (your income), make sure that you have the cash flow to repay the overspending.”

Meanwhile, Pengiran Azaleen’s advice is to spend on investment, which will provide an income and give sustainability.

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|    Hakim Hayat    |

THE success in alleviating poverty has come a step closer with the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) planning to expand its Asnaf Zakat Empowerment Programme (PROPAZ) by introducing agricultural training progammes and working closely with grassroots community councils to help empower underprivileged individuals.

The move to expand the ministry’s pilot programme to eradicate poverty in the country was announced by the Deputy Secretary of the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB) Haji Abdul Aziz bin Haji Akop yesterday.

The PROPAZ scheme, first incepted in 2007 aims to empower needy individuals and their families through innovative means of training and skill acquisitions through internships at the Youth Development Centre and other channels, and is fully funded by MUIB which gets its funding through Zakat money collection nationwide.

Speaking at the launch of a PROPAZ initiative for 13 underprivileged youths in collaboration with Perbadanan Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB), Haji Abdul Aziz said that for a start in the agricultural training, the programme will be introducing simple techniques for farming chilli, which he said has a good and steady demand and is easy to grow.

He also said that they are looking at working closely with Mukim and village consultative councils to integrate programmes that would help participants take part in the ‘One Village, One Product’ initiatives in respective area of councils.

Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud handing over a gift to one of the participants

Deputy Secretary of the Brunei Islamic Religious Council, Haji Abdul Aziz bin Haji Akop delivers his speech

Hajah Norrafidah binti Sulaiman, Acting Managing Director of TAIB at the event

Participants of the PROPAZ programme at the event. – PHOTOS: HAKIIM HAYAT

The launch of the three-day programme, held in conjunction with TAIB’s 25^th anniversary at The Airport Mall in Berakas, was witnessed by Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, who also handed over gifts to all the participants to mark the start of the programme.

Among the programme’s objectives is to provide under-privileged youths the platform to build self-esteem and understand their potential to succeed either in a workplace or in entrepre-neurship.

Hajah Norrafidah binti Sulaiman, Acting Managing Director of TAIB, in her speech said that this self-development programme will help them expand their focus from providing service to collect Zakat to supporting PROPAZ’s objectives in enhancing knowledge and skills to help the underprivileged youths find jobs or get the confidence to start up their own business.

The programme includes topics such as financial planning, basic entrepreneurship clinic, brainstorming session as well as Fardhu Ain and Fardhu Kifayah activities. The speakers comprise financial experts and successful entrepreneurs from Brunei and also overseas.

TAIB said it hopes to see the participants make positive changes in their lives through the programme.

The post The chilli way to poverty eradication appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.

|    James Kon    |

FOLLOWING a number of productive meetings with Brunei Government officials, a high-level Russian company, led by Viktor Tarusin, the President of the Odintsovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia, is looking forward to establishing practical cooperation and partnership with local companies to help boost Brunei’s food security and exploration of oil and gas.

Also among the visiting Russian delegation are Ruslan Tokaev, the CEO of LLC NIPT; Rustam Kazakov, the Strategic Development Manager of LLC NIPT; Alexander Zaets, the CEO of the Petrochem Energy Group; and Rustem Aminev, the Contracts Engineer at the Marketing and Sales Department of SCF GEO.

In a press conference yesterday afternoon, Viktor Tarusin, who is also the CEO of LLC MG3, spoke about the levels of cooperation that could be achieved between the two countries.

He said, “We came to Brunei as a team under the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Our delegates managed to discuss a number of projects with our Brunei counterparts that targeted areas of agriculture, as well as in oil and gas.”

The agriculture sector, he said, “is very interesting for Russia, because of the sanctions by the West and the United States. Russia was forced to improve its food security and within three years.

“We became self-sufficient in vegetable, poultry and grain production. Our expertise can also help boost self-sufficiency and food security for Brunei Darussalam. We can also provide an eco-friendly approach to agriculture, and genetically modified organism (GMO) free technology.”

He added, “We have been invited by the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood under the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism to participate in tenders. Based on this, our science institutions in Russia that are engaged in grain and vegetable production created a number of proposals, which were well accepted by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism.”

He also revealed that the delegation had a meeting yesterday with Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, the Minister Primary Resources and Tourism, together with a number of local businessmen who were recommended by the ministry for the execution of the projects.

“Russia could provide training for Brunei’s agricultural professionals, or send its company experts to Russia, for short-term advanced training courses that will give technology transfer, as well as an exchange of experiences,” said Tarusin.

Group photo of the Russian Business delegation led by Viktor Tarusin, President of Odintsovo Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia, with Russian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Vladlen Semivolos. – JAMES KON

On projects in the oil and gas sector, he said, “Russia’s chief shipping company is SCF GEO, which ranks fifth in the world. It not only provides shipping, but also geoscience in 2D and 3D marine seismic surveys. It is ready to provide its services to Brunei Shell Petroleum Co Sdn Bhd (BSP) and other major companies dealing in oil and gas exploration.”

Meanwhile, Tarusin’s company, LLC MG3, is able to provide specialised vessels that engage in on-site survey for platform installations and further drilling

He said, “We are also looking for cooperation with major companies in the region. We have a long-term contract with Petronas.”

On the functions of NIPT, he said, “The company is engaged in oil slug recovery. Oil slug is a big problem for any oil-producing countries. They are engaged in business with British Petroleum and Shell, and they feel that there is a good opportunity in Brunei.

“Recently, the company received accreditation from BSP’s procurement system, and I believe they have a high chance to get projects here.”

The Russian delegates also met with the Brunei Economic Development Board, and are examining the potential to build a data centre in Brunei at the Digital Junction.

Tarusin said, “This presents a real potential for joint collaboration in a high-tech eco-friendly project, as Russia is also building a similar data centre in Moscow. Therefore, it would be practical to have a replica of the Russia Data Centre in Brunei.”

With their current visit being their fourth to Brunei, he said, “We are now ready for practical cooperation with local companies. With the support of local companies, we will be able to get good results, as well as common benefits.”

Tarusin concluded the press conference by thanking Vladlen Semivolos, the Russian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, for his proactive stance in promoting bilateral ties between the two countries.

The Russian delegation will meet with representatives from Brunei National Petroleum Company and BSP today.

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