The roundtable allows to share ideas and show the commitment to improving Belait’s business environment to boost its economic potential, said Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, in his capacity as Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) Chairman.
He said this during BEDB’s inaugural roundtable dialogue with the Belait business community recently, where they focused on unlocking the district’s economic potential, bringing together 30 business leaders and government agencies.
The dialogue saw the community expressing optimism of working collaboratively with BEDB and government agencies to address shared challenges and unlock opportunities for economic growth.
The key suggestions included creating more affordable, shared commercial spaces for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to operate collectively, potentially becoming an attraction for the district’s residents and nearby visitors.
“We know that Belait’s population has spending power, especially with the significant expatriate community here,” said Managing Director of ESCA Marine and Engineering Masrhiem Taufik.
“But commercial spaces can be quite limited and costly, so MSMEs often resort to renting residential units or running businesses from home. We’re eager to work with BEDB to explore possibilities, such as repurposing underutilised buildings into business hubs for MSMEs.”
Dannie Azzura bin Haji Abu Basrah, who operates a real estate agency, highlighted consistent interest from businesses seeking to open in Belait, but cited limited options as a barrier.
“Now that we have this channel for dialogue, I am confident that this represents a fresh platform for us to work with BEDB and the government to develop Belait to the potential we know it has,” said Dannie.
Following the dialogue, a networking luncheon was held to further strengthen connections among attendees.
