Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Trade Convention Brunei Darussalam 2023 (BETCON23), held in conjunction with the 26th BIMP-EAGA Ministerial Meeting and other related meetings, is expected to draw in 300 vendors and 1,000 delegates from BIMP-EAGA regions.
Scheduled to take place from October 25 to 29 at the Bridex Exhibition Hall in Jerudong, the BETCON23 serves as an arena for networking, knowledge sharing, strategic partnership establishment, and the reinforcement of economic bonds among the BIMP-EAGA area, BIMP-EAGA Development Partners, and international vendors.
The convention will witness active participation not only from BIMP-EAGA development partners, including Korea, Japan, China, and the Northern Territory of Australia, but also from international vendors. This convergence aims to provide a stage for enterprises originating from within the BIMP-EAGA region and beyond, offering them a platform to showcase their products, services, and investment prospects.
This was shared by BIMP-EAGA Business Council’s (BEBC) Brunei Country Director Haji Alimen bin Haji Jaafar during the signing ceremony for BETCON23 on Monday at D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd.
BEBC Brunei Chairman Pengiran Dr Haji Haris bin Pengiran Haji Duraman said the BIMP-EAGA leaders noted at a recent summit that the private sector leads the post-pandemic recovery in trade, tourism and investment, hence the respective BEBCs agreed for the BEBC Brunei to host the BETCON23.
Meanwhile, Haji Alimen said the BEBC is the private sector’s voice in BIMP-EAGA where at senior officials meetings, the council enjoys a fifth-country status, with its chairman having the same rank as other senior officials during policy discussions.
“The private sector is critical in identifying challenges and solutions to better promote trade, tourism and investment (TTI), and in identifying private sector-led projects that can assist in the sub-region’s development,” he added.
The BETCON23 is set primarily to promote trade, tourism, and investment that complement the outcomes of the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025 five strategic pillars – enhance connectivity; establish the sub-region as Asia’s food basket; promote BIMP-EAGA as a premier tourism destination; sustainably manage natural resources and promote people-to-people connectivity.
The international event is part of the BEBC’s efforts to carry out the BIMP-EAGA leaders’ mandate for the BEBC as a private sector to establish collaboration and expand networking to promote TTI and development of the sub-region through the BEBC platform.
Signing on behalf of BEBC Brunei were Pengiran Dr Haji Haris and Haji Alimen while D’Sunlit as the official event management and contractor was represented by its Managing Director Jackson Ting and Business Development Manager Gavin Chai.
The BETCON23 is organised by BEBC Brunei, endorsed by the Ministry of Finance and Economy and supported by Muara Port Company Sdn Bhd and the Brunei Economic Development Board.
