Signing of agreement for telephone directory
By James Kon

Jabatan Telekom Brunei (JTB) and GTE Directories (B) Sdn Bhd yesterday signed a partnership agreement to continue their long standing relationship in the sale, marketing and publishing of telephone directories in Brunei Darussalam.

Present as the guest of honour at the signing ceremony held at the Empire Hotel and Country Club was Pehin Dato Awang Haji Abdullah, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications.

Signing on behalf of the Government of His Majesty through JTB was Dayang Hajah Norliha Binti Hj Abu Bakar, the Acting Director of Telecommunications, JTB. GTE Directories (B) Sdn Bhd was represented by its Chairman Pengiran Anak Haji Jaafar Ibnu Al-Mahrum Pengiran Pemanca Pg Anak Haji Mohd Alam.

Present to witness the signing ceremony were Awang Rasidi bin Haji Osman, Head of Business, Telecom Consumer & Retail and Mr Greg Hanifee, the Managing Director (ASIA).

The agreement assigns GTE Directories as the exclusive sales agent for JTB in the sale, marketing and publishing of print and electronic yellow, white and government pages covering Brunei Darussalam.

Coinciding with the signing ceremony was the launch of the new Telephone Directory for 2004/2005 by Pehin Dato Awang Haji Abdullah, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications. The new telephone directory includes new features such as colourful pages of advertisement, Street Map, Auto Guide Section and Restaurants Menu Pages.

For the past 32 years, GTE Directories has been a joint venture between JATI Investments Sdn Bhd and Verizon Information Services Inc., a US based company that has been publishing world-class telephone directories for Brunei Darussalam. The telephone directory has experienced a remarkable growth since its first publication in 1972 when only 10,000 copies were printed compared to the 110,000 published today.

The agreement also signifies the strong relationship between the government and the private sector in promoting local business opportunities in Brunei to the local and international market. The agreement also opens up a new avenue for further promoting the publishing, marketing and advertising of telephone directories through advanced communications medium such as CD-Roms and Internet, which will ultimately enhance the reach and market for local business communities.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin