Answer for Oral Question PL281

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Awang Lau How Teck

YANG BERHORMAT AWANG LAU HOW TECK requests the MENTERI EKONOMI, PERDAGANGAN DAN INDUSTRI to state how the Government ensures that the support ecosystem for SMEs genuinely enhances the productivity, innovation and competitiveness of local enterprises, enabling them to expand into regional and international markets, taking into account the various initiatives introduced in recent years.

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Ekonomi, Perdagangan dan Industri

The Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) provides support to local Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) according to their stage of development and business needs, beginning with the establishment of an entrepreneurial foundation and business formation, through to scaling up, digitalisation, certification, financing, participation in supply chains, as well as access to regional and international markets.

To build business foundations and capabilities, programmes such as the Industry Business Academy and Micro Bootcamp provide training related to business management and development. Accelerate Bootcamp, the iCentre Incubation Programme and the Brunei Innovation Lab support the development of start-ups and technology- and innovation-based enterprises, including by providing incubation space, capacity building and connections with industry players.

For local MSMEs that have generated revenue and have the potential to grow, the Elevate Programme provides guidance to improve business performance and scale. Support is also provided through financing and investment schemes, including the Co-Matching Scheme and the Growth Facilitation Fund, subject to the programme’s eligibility requirements.

In terms of increasing productivity, the Tech Enablement Programme facilitates the use of subsidised digital solutions to help local MSMEs improve the efficiency of their business management and operations. To improve quality, compliance and export readiness, the Standards Consultancy Programme assists local MSMEs in preparing to obtain international standards certification.

To expand market access, initiatives such as Bruneian Made, Kontena Park, trade expos and international market access programmes provide channels for local MSMEs to test, promote and sell their products. BEDB also facilitates the participation of local enterprises in regional and international expos, as well as identifies products and services with export potential.

At the same time, DARe LINKS and i-Usahawan provide access to tender, contract and supply chain opportunities with larger companies. This approach enables enterprise capacity building to be supported by actual market and procurement opportunities.

The achievements recorded to date through these programmes are as follows:

• 519 new businesses were registered through Micro Bootcamp, and 797 employment opportunities, including self-employment, were generated;
• 174 Startup companies were registered through Accelerate Bootcamp, and 869 employment opportunities, including self-employment, were generated;
• 65 companies obtained international standards certification;
• 40 local MSMEs marketed more than 500 products through the Bruneian Made initiative;
• 88 F&B companies were established through the Kontena Park initiative, with total sales amounting to BND2.5 million; and
• 66 companies registered under the Tech Enablement Programme, which was launched in May 2025, of which 48 companies have begun using the programme.

These achievements demonstrate progress in terms of business formation, job creation, enterprise scaling, certification, digitalisation and sales generation. Nevertheless, local MSMEs continue to face challenges such as production capacity, operating and logistics costs, standards compliance, technology adoption and the ability to consistently meet market demand.

Therefore, BEDB will continue to adapt its programmes based on the development stage of local MSMEs, identified capability gaps, industry needs and market requirements. This approach aims to assist more local enterprises in improving productivity and innovation, strengthening competitiveness and building the capacity to expand into regional and international markets.

For the agrifood sector, the support ecosystem for SMEs is assessed by taking into account the maturity, capacity and needs of each enterprise. The Taskforce Agrifood has categorised enterprises into three tiers:

• Tier 1 consists of companies that are stable and have been established in the industry for a long time;
• Tier 2 involves enterprises with premises or an operational site and the potential to grow;
• Meanwhile, Tier 3 consists of micro-enterprises, home-based businesses and startups that are still at the early stage of development.

Given that each tier has different levels of capability and challenges, the support approach is also tailored to ensure greater effectiveness and the achievement of the established KPIs. The main KPI focus for:

• Tier 1 is on export market penetration;
• Tier 2 is on increasing capacity and readiness/potential towards exporting;
• Meanwhile, Tier 3 focuses on capacity development and assisting enterprises in transitioning from home-based operations to dedicated premises.

The initiatives provided are also tailored according to the category of enterprise:

• For Tier 3, support includes product enhancement, material input enhancement, capacity enhancement, certification and local market facilitation programmes to develop capacity and strengthen business foundations;
• For Tier 2, focus is given to certification and export market facilitation programmes to enhance readiness and potential for entering export markets;
• Meanwhile, for Tier 1, initiatives focus on export market facilitation to expand the penetration and competitiveness of local products in regional and international markets.

Through the phased approach implemented by the Taskforce Agrifood, Alhamdulillah, since its establishment in 2022, several encouraging achievements have been recorded:

• For Tier 1, three (3) companies have successfully entered export markets, namely PDS Abattoir Sdn Bhd, BMC Food Industries Sdn Bhd and Ghanim International Corp Sdn Bhd;
• For Tier 2, nine (9) companies have successfully entered export markets, namely RBC Sdn Bhd, Sabli Food Industries Sdn Bhd, Marimin Sdn Bhd, Mori Farm, Ori Sdn Bhd, Sahamada Corp Sdn Bhd, Taurean Bakeshop, Atoll Agro & Cold Storage Sdn Bhd and A. Ayam Berjaya (B) Sdn Bhd;
• Meanwhile, for Tier 3, five (5) enterprises have successfully transitioned from home-based operations to dedicated premises, namely Rizqussalam, M2Victoria Company, Kayu Manis Babu, As Sehha Group and Dapur Lagenda.bn.