Bandar Seri Begawan - The Brunei Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) received a Brunei- Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) consultant from Tarakan Business Council yesterday morning in the effort to explore opportunity towards the formation of BruneiSarawak-West Kalimantan Business Council (BSWKBC).
Drs Akbarsyah, who is also an expert in East Asean Social Economy, was met by Dr Hj Kamaruddin Dato Seri Paduka Hj Talib, the Deputy President of BMCCI cum Chairman of BIMP-EAGA Business Council Brunei Chapter; and Hj Ismail Sabani, the Deputy Secretary General of BMCCI at the chamber‘s office in Beribi.
Drs Akbarsyah said the formation of BSWKBC is vital in the attempt to cash into the $150 billion halal market especially in the Middle East using the premier halal brand of Brunei Darussalam while Sarawak and West Kalimantan are the suppliers of products. He called for an agreement to form a triangular forum dialogue for BIMP-EAGA sub-region of Brunei, Sarawak and West Kalimantan.
"The dialogue should encourage the candid exchange of views and issues in the formation of halal food industry and explore possible ways to promote and strengthen the commercial applications of the concept of halal," he said.
He added that the forum dialogue would produce a feasibility study that will be presented at the BIMP-EAGA summit for approval towards implementation.
Once approved, the feasibility study will be presented to banks such as the Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank or World Bank to obtain financial facilities, he added.
The meeting yesterday agreed for a forum dialogue to be formed as an initial step towards the formation of Brunei-Sarawak-West Kalimantan Business Council.
The three said scientifically proven health benefits of Halal food have attracted an unprecedented demand for these products across the world from both Muslim and non-Muslim consumers, which is expanding the ‘Real Halal‘ market from local to global.
Drs Akbarsyah was the main figure in the formation of BIMP-EAGA Tarakan Business Council and has organised a forum dialogue with BIMP-EAGA Tawau Business Council last April - a first step in the formation of Tarakan Tawau Business Council.
He also spent nine months in Brunei in 1993 as a staff of Asean Voluntary Corps in the preparation of a paper towards helping youth dropouts to explore opportunity in agro-based industry, a project organised by Asean Sub-Committee on Youth and Youth and Sports Department, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports here.
In 1996, he attended a BIMP-EAGA Senior Officials and Ministers Meeting in Davao City.
Source: www.brudirect.com (22 September 2007)
