| Aziz Idris |
CANADA and Brunei Darussalam continue to enjoy tremendous people-to-people ties as well as strong bilateral business relations – most notably in aviation and Halal pharmaceuticals – and are keen to explore additional opportunities of engagement especially in ICT and the ‘blue economy’ (sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth).
This was highlighted by Ian Burchett, Director General for Southeast Asia, Asean and APEC – Global Affairs Canada, during an interview with local media at the Canadian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan yesterday.
Also present during the interview was the Canadian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, Caterina Ventura.
Burchett, accompanied by Marie-Louise Hanna, Canada’s Ambassador to Asean, is currently on a two-day working visit to the Sultanate to meet with key government officials, prominent business leaders and Canadian investors in Brunei.
During the interview, Burchett made note of his fruitful meeting with Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, the Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to discuss her visit to Ottawa and Vancouver last year.
Other areas he touched on include the close people-to-people friendship and education ties between Canada and Asean, particularly the new Canada-Asean scholarship programme called Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED).
The programme provides students from Asean member states with short-term exchange opportunities for study or research in Canadian post-secondary education institutions.
Burchett also noted the success of the Canadian flagship aviation company CAE – which has established a presence in Brunei since 2012 – as well as Halal pharmaceuticals and health supplements firm Simpor Pharma.
He attributes this success due to the similarity of both economies, which are “resource based”.
“We take advantage of the open market and welcoming business environment here as an opportunity for Canadian companies to make investments. With this experience it will allow Brunei to be a stepping stone for other Canadian companies to explore other markets in the region,” Burchett said.
The director general added that he would like to see more investors from Bruneian companies back in Canada considering the “connection” Canada has with various bilateral and multilateral FTAs (Free Trade Agreement) with the Latin American countries and Europe, and the recent announcement of the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.
Canada was widely considered the main holdout in negotiations for the revision of the TPP last fall, resulting in it being renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
This means “Canada is a good place to invest,” Burchett pointed out before adding that because of the aforementioned arrangements, he is confident Bruneian companies can be successful.
One area Burchett advised Brunei to invest in is the service sector.
“As Brunei continues to expand its economy, services is increasingly going to play a pivotal role in the development of economic growth,” he noted.
Burchett also mentioned the Canadian Blue Economy Initiative, which aims to promote water sustainability from a new perspective – understanding the economic risks and benefits of decisions about water management.
“As Brunei is surrounded by water, we aim to combine the knowledge in ICT and the blue economy to help (Asean) countries apply the right solutions to address their water challenges,” he said.
Meanwhile, Canadian High Commissioner Caterina Ventura said that another sector that Canada places focus on in Brunei is education collaborations, because “education is fundamental for all sectors to succeed”.
“I am looking forward to seeing more collaboration between education institutions in Canada and local institutions in Brunei. I believe that these collaborations will promote entrepreneurship activities in the future,” she added.
In view of this, the Canadian High Commission in Brunei Darussalam will host an entrepreneurship workshop in conjunction with International Women’s Day on March 8 – themed ‘Press for Progress’ – which is celebrated to highlight and honour the achievements of women entrepreneurs.
The post Canada keen to engage further with Brunei on ICT, ‘blue economy’ appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.