| Danial Norjidi |
THE Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMB) held its third Power Lunch event yesterday at the Radisson Hotel.
Organised by Creativo Sdn Bhd, the event was supported by Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) and Adinin Group of Companies.
In his welcoming remarks at the event, President of DPPMB Dr Haji Kamaruddin bin Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib said, “It is with great pleasure we welcome you once again to our third Power Lunch held this second quarter of 2018. We have generated very good feedback from our previous events and we are confident our Power Lunch series can be a strong flagship programme of the Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“An interesting feature of our Power Lunch is the space for our local members of the chamber to share their journey in growing their businesses within and beyond the shores of Brunei,” said the DPPMB President.
The event saw Ambassador of the United States of America to Brunei Darussalam Craig B Allen deliver a keynote address sharing his perspective on the current state of the US economy as well as the development of trade and investment activities in the US, before speaking on Brunei-US relations.
The keynote address was followed by a segment called ‘Our Story’, featuring two home-grown businesses in Brunei Darussalam who spoke about their journey, including their successes and challenges.
The first company was Riza Fudhlana Farming, one of the subsidiaries under the Riza Group. The business is carried out on a six-hectare plot at Tanah Tuah Agricultural Development Area in Bebatik Kulapis.
In 2017, Riza Fudhlana Farming produced 1,750 metric tonnes of broiler chicken worth BND7.9 million out of its current nine units of chicken coops using closed-chicken cooling system technology.
The company has tremendous opportunities to penetrate the overseas markets like Japan and Korea, noted the DPPMB President.
The second company that shared their story was Sahamada Corporation Sdn Bhd. Established in 1986, the company first engaged in construction and development projects and it was in 2003 that the company diversified into food manufacturing and began producing chilli sauce bearing the brand ‘CINTA’.
The company also shared its experiences in the export of its products to the region.
The DPPMB President said, “It is also a window of opportunity for the rest of the members of the business community to learn from the journey and take stock of the pitfalls and obstacles and how these companies strived to succeed beyond measure.”
Adding on, he expressed his thanks to VIP table sponsor BIBD and table sponsor Adinin Group of Companies.
He also acknowledged DPPMB’s strategic partner Creativo Sdn Bhd for organising the event as well as the full support of DPPMB officers and executive members.