The Digital Economy Forum 2023 at Radisson Hotel Brunei Darussalam brought together over 100 public and private sector participants to discuss how to accelerate digital transformation in Brunei.
Organised by the ASEAN and APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) of Brunei in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE), the forum themed ‘Accelerating Digital Adoption in Brunei’ is a platform for insightful discussions on Brunei’s digital transformation journey and its implications for the nation’s economic future.
The forum began with speeches by ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) Member for Brunei and Managing Director of Adinin Group of Companies Haji Musa bin Haji Adnin and ABAC Chair for Brunei and Executive Director of LVK Group of Companies Nik Hafimi binti Abdul Haadii.
Haji Musa said the private sector, including ASEAN BAC, supports the ASEAN QR Code Financial Integration and ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement underscoring the region’s commitment to achieve digital economy. He said embracing the digital economy requires a culture of innovation and collaboration to realise a dynamic and resilient digital future.
Nik Hafimi said to support APEC governments’ efforts to ensure micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are part of the digital economy, the ABAC is advancing a work plan fostering trust, addressing cybersecurity, promoting workforce upskilling, enhancing digital health and facilitating cross-border digital trade. This year, the council launched digital tools for MSMEs to access global markets: the MSME Supply Chain Toolkit and Cybersecurity Toolkit.
ABAC Brunei is also working on an MSME Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Inclusion Framework demonstrating their dedication to sustainable practices and streamlining non-financial ESG reporting for the APEC region.
The speeches were followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dynamik Technologies Head of Corporate Services Hajah Siti Rozana binti Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yunos. Panellists included Baiduri Bank Head of Group Technology and Information Division Simon Hansman, Cyber Security Brunei Deputy Managing Director Mohamad Azad Zaki bin Haji Mohd Tahir, Darussalam Assets Senior Information Technology Services Manager Apurv Sharma, Microsoft Brunei Country Manager Akfash Latibu and National Digital Payments Network Chief Executive Officer Hafiz Haslen.
The discussion explored key developments in Brunei’s digital landscape, identified areas for growth and discussed strategies to ensure that businesses of all sizes and segments of society embrace digital tools.
There were also two presentations, one on ‘Business Document and Data Security’ by ASDS Sdn Bhd’s Damien Newn and another on ‘The New Future of Work’ by Vinod Muralidharan from Microsoft. – Fadley Faisal
