Answer for Oral Question PL208

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin

YANG BERHORMAT AWANG HAJI SALLEH BOSTAMAN BIN HAJI ZAINAL ABIDIN asked Yang Berhormat Menteri Kewangan II to state the measures taken by the Ministry to strengthen the implementation of the Local Business Development (LBD) policy in Government and GLC tenders, including quotas for local company participation, transparency in periodic reporting, and clear performance indicators such as contract values and the number of local employees.

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Kewangan II

The Local Business Development policy is one of the strategic initiatives of the Government of Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam to strengthen the development of local enterprises, increase the participation of citizens in economic activities and create quality employment opportunities. The implementation of this policy also supports the country’s economic diversification efforts in line with the aspirations of Wawasan Brunei 2035 through the development of a more competitive, innovative and sustainable private sector.

To strengthen the implementation of the policy, the Government has implemented several initiatives according to priority sectors and areas, including the following:

i. In the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, the National E-Government Centre (EGNC) has developed the ICT Local Business Development Policy Framework as a guide for the implementation of Government ICT projects. This framework aims to increase and encourage the participation of local ICT companies through vendor development, technology transfer, the use of local content and performance measurement through clear indicators.

ii. In the construction sector, the Ministry of Development, through the Construction Industry Policy Framework, continues to encourage the participation of local contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers and workforce in the implementation of national development projects, thereby strengthening the capacity of the local construction industry.

iii. For the energy sector, through the Energy In-Country Value (ICV) Division, the Department of Energy, Upstream and Downstream at the Prime Minister’s Office continues to lead the implementation of local content development initiatives by broadening the participation of local companies in the energy industry value chain and enhancing the capacity development of local supporting industries.

Meanwhile, in implementing the Local Business Development policy under the GLCs, the Darussalam Assets Sendirian Berhad Group of Companies has established the procure.bn website, which is a digital procurement platform built entirely from the ground up, or built-from-scratch. This website hosts a publicly accessible supplier directory showcasing local supplier companies to promote each company’s enterprise while supporting both business-to-business and business-to-consumer opportunities.

As of July 2026, a total of 17 GLCs under the Darussalam Assets Group of Companies had joined this platform to offer procurement opportunities to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and interested companies. At present, 1,350 vendors have registered on the platform and 715 supply opportunities have been completed.

At the same time, the Darussalam Assets Group of Companies is highly committed to robust procurement procedures encompassing best practices and legal compliance; value for money, fairness, integrity and transparency in procurement assessments; and procurement controls based on approved allocations.

Furthermore, to strengthen compliance with cybersecurity standards and Environment, Social and Governance practices, supplier registration requires the submission of relevant documents such as registration certificates, accreditations, tax compliance certificates, audited financial statements and declarations of conflicts of interest.

The Ministry of Finance will continue to work closely with ministries, agencies and GLC Companies to strengthen the implementation of the Local Business Development Policy through policy coordination, the sharing of best practices, and the strengthening of performance monitoring and reporting mechanisms in a more systematic manner. For relevant sectors and projects, Local Business Development elements will continue to be considered as one of the assessment criteria in the Government procurement process, alongside assessments of technical aspects, financial capability, implementation capacity and the principle of value for money.

In strengthening the implementation of the Local Business Development Policy, the Ministry of Finance also encourages the relevant ministries and agencies to continue enhancing performance monitoring mechanisms through appropriate indicators, including the level of participation by local companies, vendor development, strategic cooperation, technology transfer, employment opportunities for citizens and the economic impact generated. This approach will help ensure that the implementation of the Local Business Development policy continues to provide tangible benefits to the country’s economic development.

At the same time, the Ministry of Finance will continue to ensure that every Government procurement process is conducted transparently, competitively, fairly and with integrity in accordance with the Financial Regulations in force, while maintaining a balance between local industry development, healthy competition and the achievement of value for money, thereby supporting more sustainable and resilient economic growth.