Japan-Mindanao Delegation Looking For Business Opportunities In Brunei
By Rosh Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - A Japan-Mindanao trade delegation was recently on a goodwill visit to the Sultanate to gauge available business opportunities in order to take advantage of the Brunei - Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) economic growth centre.

Led by Dr Mohammad Noor J Abantas, President of IFADO and chairman of SCTE, the trade delegation also comprised Yasumitsu Hashimoto, the Certified Public Tax Accountant of Hashimoto-Yasumitsu Office (HYO), Japan: Yasuo Kato, the adviser at HYO; Dr Shinichi Fujimoto, President of JAECEF-Japan; Lourdes B Abantas, Secretary of IFADO, Dr Prince Abu Bakar Halun and Mohammad Sali Bahauddin, Vice President of IFADO and former deputy Governor of the Province Tawi-Tawi, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

Coordinated by a local businessman, Haji Kassim Ha ji Sapar, the trade delegation paid brief courtesy calls to top officials of Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Industry Development Authority (BINA) and Parti Pembangunan Bangsa on Saturday.

The visit of the delegation was a manifestation of their objective of enhancing cooperation, friendship and solidarity amongst BIMP-EAGA countries.

In an interview with the Bulletin, Yasuo Kato said his shipping company is eyeing the Mindanao-Sabah-Brunei route, which he considered as the prime mover of the BIMP-EAGA.

"It is important to develop a regular sea linkage in the sub-region in an effort to revive trade within the grouping.

"A cargo ship will ply the Mindanao-Sabah-Brunei route to bring consumer items from one country to another which we hope will get a strong support from the public sector to demonstrate a sign of confidence on the BIMP-EAGA," he said.

He said the importance of opening up sea routes in the BIMP-EAGA region lies in the facilitation of goods and services. Meanwhile Yasumitsu Hashimoto said he would be opening a sugar cane plant in Mindanao, which will supply sugar to BIMP-EAGA countries including Brunei.-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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