Izah Azahari
The ASEAN and APEC Business Councils of Brunei Darussalam hosted the Digital Economy Forum yesterday in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE) and Baiduri Bank.
The forum highlighted digital economy opportunities for Brunei businesses and discussed how the Sultanate can achieve its digital transformation goals.
Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha, the guest of honour, delivered a keynote address.
Chair of APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Brunei, member of Brunei Digital Economy Council and Executive Director at LVK Group of Companies Nik Hafimi binti Abdul Haadii said transformation to digital economy is a catalyst in achieving a strong, vibrant and prosperous economy. The Sultanate should be prepared “for the global paradigm shift in technology”.
The forum saw a presentation on ‘Future of Digital Transformation’ by Google’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Lead – Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Joanne Bala. It centred on Google’s report on ‘e-Conomy SEA’ tracking developments in Southeast Asia as the region’s digital economy heads toward USD1 trillion in gross merchandise value by 2030.
The event also saw a panel discussion featuring Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) Ir Haji Mohammad Nazri bin Haji Mohammad Yusof; Chair of ASEAN Business Advisory Council Brunei and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dynamik Technologies Haslina binti Haji Mohd Taib; ABAC Brunei member and CEO of imagine Sdn Bhd Suzannawati binti Haji Suharju; Baiduri Bank Head of Business Banking Isa Liew; and Vice-President of Cross Border Payments, NETS (Singapore) Pte Lte William Chang.
The permanent secretary said for Brunei to be a smart nation, it needs to be done through digital transformation while Haslina said that in today’s fast-changing digital-first world, “we need to be dynamic and agile and implement a ‘digital first’ culture”, on the digital transformation journey. She also stressed that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with untapped potentials need support to be more involved in digital development.
Liew encouraged MSMEs to take steps to identify areas that should be prioritised in going digital and said Baiduri Bank is ready to help clients in their digital journey.
Chang shared how QR codes are changing the digital payment landscape and envisioned ASEAN consumers can purchase items anywhere in the region using digital wallet or a QR code.
Suzannawati stressed on the importance of business owners understanding the nature of their business and which part of the organisation can be improved by digital means. She also highlighted the importance of communication and raising awareness on digital tools that are readily available.
