| James Kon |
THE Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) yesterday launched the Brunei CyberShop Fair 2019 at The Airport Mall. The fair is organised as part of AITI’s efforts to encourage the public to shop and trade online, particularly through local e-commerce vendors.
Deputy Minister of Energy, Manpower and Industry and AITI Chairman Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Matsatejo bin Sokiaw launched the fair which runs till today. Deputy Chief Executive of AITI Julianah binti Ali Ahmad noted that e-commerce is not new to Brunei Darussalam.
“AITI’s Survey on E-Commerce for Consumers 2018 showed that about 76 per cent of the population was already using e-commerce (services or platforms),” she said, adding that “while this figure sounds very encouraging, there is still a need to shift e-commerce activities from the local e-commerce vendors towards online purchasing to generate revenue that can significantly contribute to the growth of our economy.
Julianah pointed out that, ASEAN is the “world’s fastest growing internet market with 330 million users”.
“According to a study published by Google and Singapore’s Temasek Holdings in November 2018, the ASEAN Internet economy (including e-commerce), will be worth USD240 billion by 2025. The study forecasts more than threefold growth for the Internet sector in Southeast Asia and that e-commerce will make up the biggest slice of the Internet economy by 2025, with its gross merchandise value reaching USD102 billion that year, up from USD23 billion in 2018,” she said.
Digitally-savvy populations and sustainable economies, Julianah highlighted, “remain the key drivers of e-commerce growth in ASEAN, boosted by the continuous investments in the ICT infrastructures by governments and industry players”.
She added however that e-commerce adoption in ASEAN is still in its infancy compared to emerging economies like China, “Logistics and cross-border digital regulations continue to pose challenges for businesses to capitalise on opportunities.”
The CyberShop Fair serves as a platform for local e-commerce vendors to showcase their products and services with attractive discounts and promotional offers. The fair is held in conjunction with CyberShop Festival, AITI’s annual online shopping campaign which offers a wide selection of products from participating local online vendors and e-commerce retailers.
The two-day fair sees the sale of products ranging from groceries, pet food and accessories, furniture, cosmetic products, clothing and various other items.
Participating vendors include StorKitani, Naindah.com, Rotuku, Bruvera, Mumtaz Collections, Babakimpo, Nimanja Brunei, Mayang Couture, Brupay, Weelago, Lakastahshare, Socialdeal, Qafahaus, Alora Collection, Noodlebar.bn, Mamapotato.bn, Chickitout.bn, IBTE EDGE, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam, Baiduri Bank Berhad, Standard Chartered Bank, Department of Postal Services, ITPSS and DARe (Darussalam Enterprise).
Exciting activities will also be featured, such as one-on-one coaching sessions and online safety awareness campaigns, as well as free shipping and exclusive product discount promotions.
Other notable attendees at the launch were Legislative Council members Yang Berhormat Siti Rozaimeriyanty binti Dato Seri Laila Jasa Haji Abdul Rahman and Yang Berhormat Nik Hafimi binti Abdul Haadii, AITI Chief Executive Pengiran Haji Mohd Zain bin Pengiran Haji Abdul Razak, as well as government officials.