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.

The portal is not only to promote the visibility of Brunei's products in the global market but also to encourage business transactions online and hence creating new opportunities and a platform for local SMEs and businesses to expand and grow beyond the physical border, said the minister.

The Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) conducted the briefing on the portal which is also aimed at facilitating business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) transactions.

Providing greater access to information sharing, networking as well as business matching for Brunei SMEs, the portal will be implemented by AMIR Consortium, which comprises of a group of four local ICT Companies from iCentre - Alif Technologies Sdn Bhd, Mimit e-Technology, Syarikat Indah Sejahtera Development and Services Sdn Bhd and Rafiqun Information and Technology Services.

Acting Chairman of BEDB Dato Paduka Timothy Ong also spoke at the event.

Yesterday's event also saw the signing of an agreement between BEDB and the winning consortium to develop the online business portal. Signing on behalf of BEDB was its CEO Vincent Cheong, Deputy CEO Dr Manaf Metussin and Acting Senior Account Manager of Local Business Development Division, Nurul Ain Hj Jaafar.

Signing on behalf of AMIR Consortium was the Chairman of Alif Technologies Sdn Bhd, Pg Mohammad Pg Hj Kamaluddin, Managing Director of Syarikat Indah Sejahtera Development & Services Hj Mohammed Dato Seri Paduka Talib, Managing Director of Mimit e-Technology Hj Rushdi and Ak Isa Pg Hj Mohd Noor of Rafiqun IT Services.

The implementation of the portal is vital for the local SMEs' growth and BEDB recognises the tremendous benefits this network can bring both to SMEs and the people and businesses they serve, said Deputy CEO Dr Manaf who is also Head of Local Business Development Division of BEDB.

"What remains is for our SMEs to find their places in this network and for us to continue doing what we can to further enhance their development," he added.

In November last year, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam consented to award of the contract to develop the online business portal to AMIR Consortium through an open tender. The award was based on the strongest technical and commercial proposal and the most competitive tender price submitted by the consortium.