OBG Event

29 Dec 2009

New publication charts impressive progress of Brunei Darussalam’s economic development

Empire Hotel and Country Club, Brunei, 29th December 2009: Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Awang Haji Mohammad bin Haji Daud, Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office launches The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009 at the Empire hotel and Country Club, Jerudong, this morning.

The spotlight is on Brunei Darussalam’s long-term development plans and the significant increase in economic activity already in evidence as Oxford Business Group (OBG) publishes its new business guide on the Sultanate.

Pengiran Abdul Haris bin Pengiran Haji Shabudin, Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, said in his welcoming address that The Prime Minister’s Office has forged partnership with the Oxford Business Group (OBG) of London for the publication of The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009, which is being targeted at potential foreign investors.

Mr Paulius Kuncinas, OBG’s Regional Editor, said Brunei was reaping the rewards of forward thinking which had seen the Sultanate move to diversify its local oil and gas industry in timely fashion. “By building on its well-developed hydrocarbons reserves, the Sultanate has shown that it is looking at long-term development priorities,” he said. “Brunei is already enjoying significant growth, with an evolving industrial base that is likely to become a pillar of economic expansion in the future. I am confident that the country is well on the road to realising its significant business and economic potential.”

The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009, OBG’s latest English language report on the country’s investment opportunities, has been unveiled at the end of 2009 in the presence of key representatives from the world of politics and business.

The new report includes a detailed, sector-by-sector guide for foreign investors, together with a wide range of interviews with the most prominent political leaders, including His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Pehin Mohammad Daud, Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Other high profile personalities from international politics and business, such as HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, The Hon. Simon Crean, Australian Minister for Trade and Mr. Louis Heuzé, General Manager, Total E & P Deep Offshore Borneo (TEPBDO), also give their views on Brunei’s economic development.

The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009 examines the achievements that the Sultanate is rolling out and its ambitious diversification plans, in particular the move to invest into the petrochemical sector. The Report offers detailed coverage of the ongoing activity at the sites where developments are taking shape, such as a methanol production plant which is expected to be the first in a line of projects at the Sungai Liang Industrial Park (SPARK).

The report also charts the latest trends in other sectors, including agriculture, which has received much policy attention in 2009. OBG provides an in-depth analysis of the government’s plans for an agro-technology park and its bid to increase its presence in the international Halal market, while considering the investment opportunities that these and other projects are set to bring.

With so many works either underway or in the pipeline, The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009 examines the healthy prospects for the construction industry and considers the potential benefits that are in store for local contractors and suppliers. The publication maps out the key projects earmarked in housing and infrastructure, including a new port development which is already off the drawing board.

Ms Neslihan Aydagul, OBG’s Country Director in Brunei, said that with the economic sea-change taking place in Brunei, OBG’s report was not only opportune but would prove invaluable to members of the global business community as they made their investment decisions.

She highlighted the key role that the Group’s partners had played in producing The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009. “As Brunei embraces a new era, we are well aware of the importance of collaborating with local partners that can provide us with accurate, credible information,” she said. “I am confident that the contributions made by our partners have ensured that The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009 will provide potential investors with a first-class view of the exciting opportunities available in the Sultanate.”

The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009 marks the culmination of more than six months of groundbreaking field research by a team of analysts from OBG, assessing trends and developments in all major sectors of the economy, including energy, industry, finance, banking, tourism, transport and real estate.

The Report has been produced in partnership with the Prime Minister’s Office, Brunei Darussalam, with contributions from Deloitte as OBG’s accountancy partner and Dr Colin Ong Legal Services as its legal partner. Available in print form and online, The Report: Brunei Darussalam 2009 is part of the range of OBG’s publications renowned as the leading source of information on developing and emerging economies.

About Oxford Business Group

Oxford Business Group (OBG) is a global publishing, research and consultancy firm, which publishes economic and political intelligence on the markets of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. Through its range of print and online products, OBG offers comprehensive and accurate analysis of political, macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, insurance, energy, transport, industry and telecoms. 

The critically acclaimed economic, political and business reports have become the leading source of business intelligence on developing countries in the regions they cover. OBG’s online economic briefings provide up-to-date in-depth analysis on the issues that matter for tens of thousands of subscribers worldwide. OBG’s consultancy arm offers tailor-made market intelligence and advice to firms currently operating in these markets and those looking to enter them.

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