BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Saturday,
THE largest annual business meeting in the Asia Pacific, the Apec CEO Summit 2009 saw Bruneian business officials participating on the international stage yesterday, together with 1,200 delegates.

Director of Asia Inc Forum Allen Lai said that "the Apec CEO Summit is an excellent opportunity to engage and collaborate with top global players, with the likes of HSBC, Siemens, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, DHL and Procter & Gamble".

"We encourage the Bruneian business community to fully leverage this annual platform and take advantage of the opportunities for high-level linkages across the region," he was quoted as saying in a press statement from Asia Inc Forum.

Asia Inc Forum is the summit's strategic partner and advisor.

The statement added that Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) Acting Chairman Dato Paduka Timothy Ong moderated a session entitled "Is the Global Crisis Really Over?" which opened with a glimpse of the sentiment of the state of the global economy.

"There are indications to suggest that the worst may be over, but in looking to the future, we must ask ourselves what lies ahead, and what the challenges and opportunities are," said Dato Ong.

Meanwhile, Apec CEO Summit Chair Chong Siak Ching spoke on the rebuilding of the global economy as a monumental task facing the business community.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong echoed this sentiment in his keynote address; he suggested that the region is emerging from the crisis as trade within Apec members is up, and there are strong indications of a clear, modest recovery.

However, the actions of governments and the consequent business reaction in the coming months will determine the sustainability of growth.

"Rebalancing must occur between Asia and the USA. Americans are saving more than they have before and the demand must grow elsewhere to drive the economy. Many look to China and Asia to increase demand, but this will take time," said Lee.

The crisis is generally over, said Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak, but questions remains as to whether it can be sustained and whether growth can return to pre-crisis levels.

"To ensure continued momentum, Apec's markets must be kept open and that free trade continue to be high on the Apec agenda," stressed the prime minister.

Similar views were expressed by World Bank President Robert Zoellick; Global Chairman of PricewaterhouseCooper Dennis Nally and President of Inter-American Development Bank Dr Luis Alberto Moreno.

However, Chairman of Li & Fung Dr Fung was not as optimistic and pointed out that global markets were still down, with US$3 trillion lost in global demand from the US alone.

"Asia is picking up the slack, but this will not be enough," said Dr Fung.

Since March this year, as in four previous Apec CEO Summits in Peru, Vietnam, Chile, and Thailand, Asia Inc Forum has been advising the organisers on developing the summit programme, bringing together 14 world leaders, 33 chairmen and CEOs as well as more than 20 thought leaders as distinguished speakers; securing sponsorships and providing guidance on organising this business event.

Leaders from China, Canada, Japan, Russia, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and New Zealand will be speaking at the 2009 Summit, joined by Shaukat Aziz, former Prime Minister of Pakistan; Dr Tim Flannery, Australian of the Year 2007 and Chairman of Copenhagen Climate Council, as well as Stephen Green, chairman of HSBC Holdings.

The Apec CEO Summit 2010 will take place in Yokohama, Japan.

The Brunei Times
Copyright © 2006-2010 Brunei Times Sdn Bhd. All Rights Reserved.

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Monday,
BRUNEI'S Asia Inc Forum gathered regional leaders and thinkers during the ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum in Bangkok on October 21 and 22, headlined by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Crisis chat: Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (L) in dialogue with the participants of the ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum 2009 in Bangkok, moderated by Dato Timothy Ong, acting chairman, Brunei Economic Development Board. Picture: Courtesy of Asia Inc Forum

The ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum, Asia Inc's annual flagship regional event, was themed "ASEAN Integration in the Face of Global Crisis".

To weather the crisis, Abhisit said Thailand had to put together a stimulus plan to finance several projects.

The forum was moderated by Acting Chairman of the Brunei Economic Development Board Dato Timothy Ong. The Brunei Times Source URL

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Tuesday,
Published on The Brunei Times

BUSINESS and industry will join hands with government in an environmental awareness campaign in Brunei Darussalam to be dubbed "Go Green Campaign for Business" which is set to be launched this week.

The campaign is an initiative proposed to be launched during the National Environment Conference 2008 slated for Oct 23. The conference themed "Building a cleaner, brighter future" is organised to create the platform to address environmental awareness issues and to engage a public-private partnership collaboration on environmental sustainability.

This public-private initiative is spear-headed by Asia Inc Forum in partnership with Total, HSBC, Alcoa and BLNG with the support of the Ministry of Development.

The campaign, Asia Inc said, seeks to reinforce the role of business in environmental protection within the context of Brunei's economic and social development; advance the national environment agenda with support from the public and private sector and promote corporate and individual responsible behaviour towards protection of the environment.

Conference participants will be encouraged to join the campaign to show their support for green business. Interested participants who wish to join will stamp their company chop and affix their signatures on the Go Green Campaign board which will be on display after the launch.

The Go Green Campaign will be sustained through a series of follow-up events, such as workshops/educational talks on environmental issues, clean-up drive and visit to companies espousing the green campaign in their respective areas.

The campaign responds to the current Brunei Darussalam's Long-Term Development Plan which has clearly emphasised the environmental challenges facing the country today and the prospects and programmes that are needed to be carried out to achieve a sustainable environment especially in the areas of creating public awareness, solid waste management and disposal of hazardous waste, air and water quality and necessary legislation, Asia Inc said in a statement. Source URL

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Saturday,
Published on The Brunei Times

Asia Inc Forum will be holding its second National Technology Forum on Oct 15. Two hundred delegates and leading players in the local and regional IT industry are expected to attend the event in Brunei.

Participants will come together to learn and assess how leading technology enables business transformation and efficiency, its impact on society, the economy and the government, the organiser said.

The conference at The Empire Hotel & Country Club will discuss topics including "ICT as a building block for future generations" and "Embracing the Future: Global Trends and Challenges".

Following the success of last year's forum, this year's event will continue to feature overseas speakers from Google, IDA International, a Singapore e-government platform and a Japanese manufacturer of optical cables and related products, the organiser said.

There will be sessions on telecommunications to illustrate how this has changed the enterprise in Brunei and encouraged entrepreneurship, followed by a session on cloud computing and e-Government and what it means for business and the society. Debbie Too

The Brunei Times

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Wednesday,
Published on The Brunei Times

ONE of Australia's big names in so-called sustainability solutions or practices that are deemed environment-friendly will speak at the National Environment Conference to be organised by Asia Inc Forum on Aug 19.

Anita Roper, chief executive officer of Sustainability Victoria, a sustainability solutions company will talk about how a green business can be good business.

"The question of sustainability has always been balanced with the question of economy. Will the economy fail if we fall back to alternative energy sources, and will it cost more to have green building?" These are some of the questions that forum speakers are going to answer, Asia Inc said in a statement.

Roper has been the CEO of Sustainability Victoria since July 2008. The company is a statutory authority of the Victorian Government in delivering sustainability programmes and practical advice to Victorian communities, households and businesses.

She has had more than 25 years of experience in working with business, governments and communities to turn sustainability concepts into effective actions.

She will be joined at the conference by a number of other distinguished speakers and experts including Wade Hughes, director of Public Strategies and Communication in the United States, Dr Jeremy Leonard, executive manager of the Edmonton Waste Management Centre, and Djoko Prihanto, senior vice president of Surbana Corporation in Singapore. Debbie Too The Brunei Times Source URL

Following the tremendous success of last year’s forum, Asia Inc Forum is organizing the second Women in Business Forum 2009, themed “Women Leading Change”. 

The forum will focus on the role of women as change leaders in today’s highly competitive environment.

Distinguished figures from abroad have been invited to take part, including Senator Loren Legarda of the Philippine Senate, a leading woman legislator who is aspiring to run for President in the 2010 Philippine general elections; Datin Marina Tun Mahathir, writer, women’s rights advocate and daughter of Malaysia’s fourth Prime Minister; Renee Ho-Phang, Managing Director, Brandstory Inc, a branding and public relations agency for women’s products into the markets of China, Southeast Asia, Australia, US and the UK. 

These leading overseas speakers will be joined by key figures in Brunei in leading discussions on issues facing women, including: “Women as Agents of Change”, “Womenomics – what are the trends worldwide?”, “Women in Management – how level is the playing field”, “The Success of Women-led Businesses”, “Creating a Personal Brand” and “Empowering Women in the Workplace: how can men contribute?”

The Women in Business Forum is a unique platform for bringing together Brunei’s businesswomen, women leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs to learn, network and share experiences and best practices that make a difference to women in society and as agents of change in today’s competitive work environment.  The forum will honour outstanding Brunei women leaders at a “Tribute to Brunei Women Leaders” at lunch.  The Awards seek to recognize and reward Brunei women for their leadership in their respective fields and their contribution to the Brunei economy in general.

The Women in Business Forum is partnered by Baiduri Bank, The Brunei Economic Development Board and Brunei Shell Petroleum, and Borneo Bulletin/Media Permata and BIG magazine as media partners.

To register for the Women in Business Forum or to get more information, please call 2226555 or email nanette.ramos@asiaincforum.com

Hadi DP Mahmud
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Published on The Brunei Times

Tuesday,
LEADING business figures from the Asia Pacific region are set to convene in Bandar Seri Begawan on May 12 for the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Business Forum, Asia Inc announced yesterday.

The SME Forum will discuss key aspects of the global economy with a focus on its impact towards small businesses, capacity building and support and new insights on SME growth by leading business figures in Brunei and the region.

The forum, themed "SMEs in a Turbulent Global Economy: Crisis, Challenges and Opportunities", will take place at The Empire Hotel and will be held in conjunction with the 2nd Apec Business Advisory Council (Abac) Meeting. The 2nd Abac Meeting will also take place in the country from May 11 to 15.

Asia Inc said about 70 delegates have registered for the forum to date, including Patricia Teullet, CEO of the Peruvian government's trade organisation Comexperu; Zhang Peng, head of marketing of China's Alibaba Group; and Chong Siak Ching, president and CEO of established Singaporean business space provider Ascendas.

Other individuals who have been invited to take part include Lindsay Fox, the founder and chairman of Australian supply chain solutions provider Linfox; Teng Theng Dar, CEO of Singapore Business Federation; Richard Li, chairman of one of Hong Kong's largest communications provider PCCW, and Deborah Henretta, Group President for Procter & Gamble Asia.

More than 300 participants from government and the private sector are expected to gather and discuss key issues at Brunei's doorstep and how these impact the country's sustainable future during the Second Abac Meeting.

The meeting will be hosted by Brunei's Abac members, Stephen Ong, managing director of Teck Guan Holdings; Fauziah Dato Seri Paduka Hj Talib, managing partner at IQ-Quest Company and Hj Salleh Bostaman Zainal Abidin, managing director of BLNG.

Abac was created in 1995 to advise the economic leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum on ways to strengthen the open multilateral trading system, enhance trade and investment liberalisation and intensify development cooperation in the Asia Pacific.

Apec is an annual gathering of leaders from 21 economies that aims to facilitate economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific. The Brunei Times

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