Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's expectations and rules for the Oil and Gas industry have been further clarified following consultations on the regulations that underpin the Workplace Health and Safety Order, as well as on the Energy White Paper, and the publication of the Local Business Development (LBD) Directives over the past 12 months.

Ken Marnoch, the Managing Director of Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP) revealed this yesterday in his welcoming address at the 2012 Brunei Shell Joint Venture (BSJV) Vendor Forum held at the BRIDEX International Conference Centre. The forum carried the theme, Job Creation and Local Content Development within the Brunei Oil and Gas Industry'.

The event was organised to stimulate the development of local businesses and create more quality employment opportunities especially in the Oil and Gas industry. The forum, being organised for the sixth year, acts as a platform for vendors, the BSJV companies and government agencies to meet and initiate new business contacts, share ideas and discuss new initiatives on an industry-wide scale.

This is also in line with the nation's Vision 2035 towards achieving a dynamic energy industry market, supporting the advancement of local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and developing a competent and competitive Bruneian workforce. This was also mentioned by Mr Ken Marnoch in his welcoming remarks.

"The Brunei Shell Joint Venture companies are aligned with and support the EDPMO (Energy Department at the Prime Minister's Office) initiatives - Safety, Integrity Development of Local Capacity, Capability, Jobs and Enterprise - which are foundation stones in the success of our industry, as well as in the development of Brunei Darussalam towards His Majesty's Wawasan 2035 vision."

Recognising the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office, Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awg Hj Mohd Yasmin bin Hj Umar's appropriate "challenge to us to avoid complacency and to make the right contribution to Brunei", the Managing Director focussed on the fact that, "all across Brunei's Oil and Gas industry, we must do the right thing and find ways to proactively and systematically make the right impact - there simply is no other acceptable option".

Pehin Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awg Hj Mohd Yasmin officiated yesterday's forum as guest of honour.

The forum focussed on opportunities to do business with the BSJV companies and what standards are expected from the companies that BSJV companies do business with. The forum also focussed on how to pursue those opportunities; how the industry must operate with respect to safety, business integrity, local jobs creation, local business development; and how will BSJV and vendor work together to ensure the efficiency, effectiveness and productivity that is required to support an even stronger future.

Twenty-one booths took up the centrepiece of the BRIDEX International Conference Centre, which saw the debut participation of Universiti Brunei Darussalam and Institut Teknologi Brunei in this year's forum, as well as leading financial institutions, which will cover the SME development during the event.
Meanwhile, the BSJV booths showcased the business activities and opportunities at BSP, BLNG and BSM. There were also five `Focus Sessions' that provided insights and valuable advice on areas of improvement for local businesses. Due to positive feedback from previous forums, three additional topics were included this year, and there was more government participation.

The five Focus Sessions were 'Introducing the Work Order' that focussed on Health, Safety, Security and the Environment; 'Honest Business Means Good Business', which focussed on Business Integrity; 'Competence Building' for the Job Creation session; 'What It Means In Practice and "The Consequences of Non-Compliance' that focussed on the Local Business Directives 1 and 2; and 'Entrepreneurs, Development Initiatives and Support for Business Growth' that focussed on Cultivating Small and Medium Enterprises.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin