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BUSINESS SECTORS
payments from Visa, Mastercard and
American Express cards, this platform
offers different packages to suit
businesses of all sizes, including micro
and small businesses.
More
established
e-commerce
merchants can also benefit from
Baiduri’s payment gateway service,
which enables shoppers to pay for
their online purchases using Visa,
Mastercard, UnionPay and American
Express cards.
Logistics and
Transportation
Several initiatives have been made to
modernise the logistics and transport
system in Brunei Darussalam. One
such initiative is the establishment
of the Muara Port Company Sdn Bhd
(MPC) in 2017 to operate the Muara
Container Terminal, which is the
country’s only seaport. In addition
to operating the port, MPC also
diversified its business, expanding
its operations to land logistics and
storage of specialised goods. Other
initiatives include the establishment
of the Maritime and Port Authority
of Brunei Darussalam (MPABD) as a
statutory body responsible for the
management, administration and
security of maritime affairs and ports
of Brunei in line with the requirements
of international standards.
Over the past few years, several
agreements have been signed by
MPABD to improve the logistics
services in Brunei. In 2021, an
agreement was signed with Brunei
International Air Cargo Centre (BIACC)
for the leasing of Inland Container
Depots (ICDs) located at Kuala Lurah
and Sungai Tujoh. The ICDs are
expected to improve the ease of doing
business aspect in Brunei and drive
down the logistic costs.
The following year, an agreement was
signed between the port authority
and Amarco Services Sdn Bhd for the
management and operation of Brunei
Bay Southern Anchorage. The MPABD
and Amarco Services will cooperate
in managing the anchorage facility
starting June 2023.
Brunei has also been making progress
with its transportation sector. In
September 2022, a smart shuttle
service for Brunei-Muara District
was launched by Dart Logistics Sdn
Bhd in partnership with Mitsubishi
Corporation. The shuttle service
uses artificial intelligence (AI) to plan
routes efficiently and is a result of
collaboration between Dart Logistics
and Spare Technology Solutions Inc, a
joint venture between Spare Labs Inc
and Mitsubishi Corporation.
Since its launch, the shuttle has
expanded to over 50 stops including
Gadong, Kiulap, government and
Bandar areas. Users can now commute
to government areas such as the
International Convention Centre, Supa
Save Mabohai and also Yayasan Sultan
Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex.
The public can also access real-time
movement and location of public
buseswith the recently launchedSmart
Mobility Operation Cloud (SMOC)
mobile app. The pilot project is part of
governmental efforts to improve the
quality of the public bus transportation
system, in line with the initiatives
and action plans of the Ministry of
Transport and Infocommunications
(MTIC) 2025 Strategic Plan and the
ministry’s vision towards becoming a
‘Connected Smart Nation.’