Hakim Hayat
The inaugural Borneo Bulletin Yearbook (BBYB) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Showcase opened its doors yesterday, showcasing some of the country’s most inspirational entrepreneurship success stories to the public, while also allowing budding entrepreneurs to engage and learn through an extensive network of business support, ideas and solutions.
The event at One Riverside in Jalan Gadong is an extension of the range of events for the BBYB Networking Session and was launched by Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah.
The three-day event is geared towards providing a platform for MSMEs to showcase their products and services to the public. A community-based project made possible through partnerships among leading local corporations, it is also aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship and engaging MSMEs to learn, improve processes and have further insights into financial management.
Brunei Press Sdn Bhd General Manager Hazizah Osman in her opening speech highlighted that MSMEs continue to be drivers of growth for Brunei’s economy and the number, while small, has continued to grow.
“MSMEs in Brunei operate effectively within our small domestic market in various sectors including digital, fashion, services, and food and beverages. Most belong to the services sector and are dominated by traditional wholesale and retail trade; some have reached out to global markets,” she highlighted.
She said the showcase aims to further engage and enhance the MSME market in Brunei and through not only the marketing of their products and services, but also exchange of ideas and in seeking expert advice in the areas of finance, banking and telecommunications.
The showcase features food, coffee, fashion, telco solutions and made-in-Brunei products. Physical distancing and health regulatory measures are also being observed where visitors are required to scan their BruHealth QR codes and have temperature checks before entering the venue.
The showcase is supported by BIBD, imagine, DARe (Darussalam Enterprise), One Riverside, and Radio Television Brunei (RTB).
The BBYB is a comprehensive guide to Brunei, providing updated business information with special focus on investment opportunities and the nation’s developments and diversification efforts. It was incepted in 1993 as an annual publication of Brunei Press Sdn Bhd, the publisher of Borneo Bulletin and Media Permata.