The Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism places strong emphasis on developing local entrepreneurs with the potential to scale up, not only to meet domestic demand but also to penetrate regional markets and contribute sustainably to economic growth, said Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin.

He said this during the First Meeting of the 22nd Session of the Legislative Council (LegCo) in response to the matter raised by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abdul Salam on initiatives to support local entrepreneurs with strong potential to scale up their businesses, particularly to penetrate regional markets and contribute sustainably to the economy.

The minister noted that the ministry’s approach is based on three main pillars. Firstly, strengthening production capacity and the operational scale of entrepreneurs, with a focus on agriculture, agri-food and fisheries, through land development and optimisation; adoption of modern and high technology; improved biosecurity; and access to financing, training, infrastructure, laboratories and R&D programmes. Businesses are supported across three tiers: Tier 1, established exporters expanding internationally; Tier 2, small and medium enterprises with strong growth and export potential; and Tier 3, micro/start-ups with potential to scale.

Secondly, increasing value addition and export readiness focuses not only on raw production but also on processing, branding, packaging, certification and compliance, as well as strengthening food safety and standards through certifications such as Brunei Good Agricultural Practices (BGAP), Brunei Good Aquaculture Practices (BGAqP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and HACCP, to ensure products meet international market requirements and consumer confidence.

Thirdly, expanding regional market access is pursued through business networks and market facilitators. The ministry also conducted plantation commodity exports to Singapore on December 30, 2025.

The forestry sector focuses on downstream products and a value-added wood industry, as well as certification and branding (Brunei Wood Product logo). Wood products have been exported to Malaysia, the United States (US) and South Korea.

The ministry has also observed that local entrepreneurs have the capability to expand into regional markets when given focused guidance. Among them, total food exports last year amounted to BND13 million. The agriculture and agri-food sector recorded an export value of BND7.68 million, with successful exports to Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, while the total export value in the fisheries sector was BND5.68 million, with successful exports to Japan, China, Taiwan and the US.

Key export products for agriculture included animal feed, eggs and agri-based products, while fisheries products included tuna, shrimp and marine tilapia.

Logistics improvements, including cold chain and export systems, have also been strengthened.

The ministry’s strategy is not only to support survival, but to scale local businesses into resilient, export-driven enterprises, contributing to economic diversification and long-term gross domestic product growth.

(news source: Borneo Bulletin; pic source: Info Foto, Jabatan Penerangan)