BBYB 2020

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Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2020

Brunei Darussalam welcomes any collaborative

efforts, whether locally or from abroad, in

using the Brunei Halal Certification to boost

the country’s economic growth, particularly for

Halal-certified export products.

In 2018, strategic alliance agreements were signed

between Brunei, Malaysia and the Republic of

Korea to enhance the production and promotion of

Halal goods not only locally but also internationally

and realise the trade potential in the three countries.

Furthermore, several local companies have suc-

cessfully exported their products to overseas

markets, with more companies to follow suit.

In December 2019, it was revealed that four

Japanese companies are collaborating with

Brunei Meat Company (BMC) to bring Brunei-

made Halal products into the Japanese market.

The collaboration comes from years of

discussions, product-testing between BMC and

the Japanese companies and BMC. Continuous

efforts of the Economic Research Institute for

ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) also played a pivotal

role in bringing interested parties together.

Advisor to the President for Brunei Affairs of ERIA

Okuochi Hiroshi said Brunei Halal is a premium

certification, based on a report on the Study on

Halal Industry Investment in Brunei Darussalam

by ERIA in 2016.

“Japanese companies were very interested in

the Brunei Halal Certification after the release

of the report during the Halal Seminar,” Okuochi

said. Four Japanese companies – Chibo, Ginrei

Service Co Ltd, Kanda Farm Co, and Harry’s –

visited Brunei to look for collaboration potentials.

After years of discussion and fine-tuning

products, he said Chibo has come up with a

Brunei-made and Halal-certified okonomiyaki

from BMC. More products will be introduced

in 2020. The remaining three companies are in

the middle of introducing their made-in-Brunei

products with BMC, he said. In total, there will

be 15 products.

Okuochi said the products will be exported to

Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as supplied

to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and the

Paralympic Games. The factory to produce the

Japanese exports in Brunei has been set up by

BMC in Mentiri, and is expected to be launched

in 2020.

Meanwhile, the Tavelmout Biofarm (B)

Sdn Bhd’s (TVMB) production facility at

Darussalam Enterprise Bio-Innovation Corridor

Industrial Park was recently launched for the

Manufacturing and Distribution