Brunei Liaison Building To Facilitate Better Services
By Alex How

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Liaison Building is being given a final touch-up, and will be in full force once completed in October, to provide a better service to the local entrepreneurs to tap the Chinese market in the upcoming 5th China-Asean Expo (CAExpo), which will be held from October 22 to 25 in Nanning, China.

The new building, managed by Brunei China Friendship Association (BCFA), which occupies 8,000 sq m of land in Nanning, China, will enhance the services provided by BCFA as highlighted by its president Dr Hj Kamaruddin DSP Hj Talib.

"As one of the supporters of the annual CAExpo, we put in the extra miles to allocate staff from the association at the new building to assist our Brunei business partners to collaborate with the Chinese counterparts," said Dr Hj Kamaruddin, who is looking forward to the upcoming CAExpo.

"BCFA plays an important role in facilitating both parties, with our Chinese language-speaking administrators and members, we will be able to assist the locals, who are non-Chinese-speaking, to tap into China market," the president added.

Since its involvement with CAExpo, BCFA has established good contacts in China and has shared valuable information with the local business associations.

"BCFA engages business opportunities between the two sides, and mice we identify new opportunities, we will bring them back to Brunei and share them with the local business people."

Brunei government agencies will occupy one of the six floors in the new building and this will provide a better two-way communication between Brunei and China in the search for business opportunities in both countries.

"Another service that we can provide with the completion of the new building is that Brunei Liaison Building will become the centre for Chinese tourists, who wish to come to Brunei, to send in their visa application forms there," BC FA treasurer Lim Boon Hwa said.

"Nanning, in the south of China, is a strategic place where Chinese tourists from the neighbouring provinces can send their applications to. While the arrangement has yet to be finalised, after collecting their visa forms, we can send them to the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Beijing," Dr Hj Kamaruddin added.

With ICT highlighted as one of the main themes of the 5th CAExpo, BCFA is planning to invite local companies in this industry to participate in the event.

BCFA will also continue making efforts to invite other business partners from different industries to look into business prospects during the ICT week in the CAExpo, highlighted BCFA secretary Dr Tan Ka Hock.

Speaking on the development of CAExpo, Dr Hj Kamaruddin acknowledged that the city and the event have developed tremendously.

"Over the years, since 2004, CAExpo has improved a lot.

"The logistics arrangement, communications and information of participating traders have been properly coordinated," he said.

"For instance, the city and the organiser have made a great effort in building more hotels to accommodate the large influx of tourists and delegates during CAExpo."

Dr Hj Kamaruddin also suggested that Brunei restaurateurs set up their businesses in Nanning to provide halal food to the delegates and the Chinese.

"One of the sectors to be improved in CAExpo will be to provide more halal restaurants," said Dr Hj Kamaruddin.

"This provides a great business opportunity to our entrepreneurs to tap into the industy," he added.

Dr Hj Kamaruddin hoped that the local organiser for the CAExpo shall look into the use of credit cards in Nanning.

"We face a little problem in Nanning, where our credit cards are acceptable by the hotels but not by some of the shops in Nanning. The shops only accept the credit cards issued by their local banks," he quipped. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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