| Azlan Othman |
Setting up joint venture projects in the Sultanate will ensure a win-win situation for Brunei Darussalam and China.
The spin-offs created by these projects will benefit the local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in construction, catering, logistics etc, create employment opportunities in management and semi-skilled levels, and encourage companies to engage in welfare and charitable activities as part of their corporate social responsibility drive.
This was highlighted by Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib, President of Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) and Chairman of National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), at the Asean Cooperation on Construction Industry and China Nantong-Asean Enterprises Outbound Investment Conference recently.
Infrastructure and construction industry is at the forefront of Brunei’s drive to strengthen its economy and the country is constantly exploring mutually beneficial partnerships as a means to broaden knowledge and facilitate skills transfer through information sharing, capacity building, exhibition, tours, conferences and seminars, he noted.
Brunei is also currently looking inwards to improve its Ease of Doing Business and looking outwards to attract foreign direct investment. With the current drive to diversify its economy away from oil and gas industry, there is no better time to invest in Brunei’s development, Dr Haji Kamaruddin added.
Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib, President of Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, during the Asean Cooperation on Construction Industry and China Nantong-Asean Enterprises Outbound Investment Conference – Azlan Othman
In line with this new vision of development, many opportunities have opened up in the engineering and construction industry in the Sultanate.
“It is our hope that with initiatives like these, we can further enhance our economic integration efforts particularly through connectivity, trade and investment such as upgrading the Asean-China free trade agreement, and supporting of initiatives by China to finance infrastructure projects in the Sultanate.”
Nantong is a satellite town of Shanghai and famous for its education facilities, especially vocational and technical institutions, as well as a good role model in capacity building in construction industry.
At the conference, Dr Haji Kamaruddin was given the honour to present the joint statement on ‘Strengthening China-Asean Construction Win-Win Cooperation’, which among others stressed on the establishment of the China-Asean Construction Industry Cooperation Committee to leverage the China-Asean free trade zone policies, strengthen communication and cooperation between construction industries, achieve mutual cooperation and ensure win-win situation.
In addition, the joint statement also added, the Committee Secretariat is set in Nantong Construction Industry Association, undertake the daily work and its work shall be carried out under the leadership of the chair and co-chair of the Chinese side. The association shall designate a secretary-general for the Chinese side of the committee.
The committee will be set up with 50 member companies as the first batch with 20 from China and 30 from Asean (three from each country), the statement said, adding that the Committee Secretariat will be set up in Nantong Construction Industry Association.
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