Ministry of Communications

By Lyna Mohamad
Photos: Jason Leong

Pehin Hj Awg Abu Bakar

Dato Timothy Ong

Brunei's first online marketing portal for local businesses, www.padian.com, is hoped to complement efforts and initiatives of government agencies and organisations towards a common goal of promoting made-in-Brunei products for Brunei and overseas markets, which will help contribute towards the realisation of economic diversification.

"It is a portal which I am confident will provide a choice for the business community to be part of the global online market," said Minister of Communications Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Awg Abu Bakar Hj Apong, the guest of honour, in a speech at the Briefing on Online Marketing Portal for Brunei Businesses and Awarding of Contract to AMIR Consortium yesterday at the Empire Hotel & Country Club.

By Lyna Mohamad

Minister of Communications Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Haji Awg Abu Bakar with Dato Timothy Ong, the Acting Chairman of BEDB; YAM Pengiran Kerma Raja Pengiran Hj Kamarulzaman bin Pengiran Pekerma Setia Diraja Sahibul Bandar Pengiran Hj Ali, the chairman of Sungai Liang Authority; and YAM Pg Anak Hj Abdul Wadood Bolkiah at the signing ceremony. Vincent Cheong of BEDB and Pg Mohamad of Amir Consortium exchanging the documents after the signing of the agreement. - PHOTOS: JASON LEONG

In the 2008 - 2009 Networked Readiness Index (NRI), Brunei Darussalam was ranked at number 63, while Singapore and Malaysia were ranked in the 4th and 28th positions respectively.

The NRI is an index that measures the propensity for countries/economies to exploit the opportunities offered by ICT and it establishes a broad international framework mapping out the enabling factors of such capacity.

The index has revealed several areas that need to be improved, such as the number of days to start a business in Brunei, availability of scientists and engineers, and capacity for innovation.

Minister of Communications Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Hj Awg Abu Bakar Hj Apong disclosed this in his speech yesterday during a briefing on Online Marketing Portal for Brunei Businesses and the awarding of contract to AMIR Consortium ceremony held at the Empire Hotel & Country Club.