Brunei Darussalam today launched the ‘Mapping the Way Forward: Inclusive Business in Brunei Darussalam Landscape Study’ at Dewan An-Naura, Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (YSHHB) Complex. The study aims to identify opportunities to strengthen business models that support low-income communities, empower underserved entrepreneurs, and promote more inclusive socio-economic development.
The nine-month study, which runs from 1st May to 31st January 2027, is being undertaken with technical support from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). It also supports Brunei Darussalam’s commitment to the ASEAN Inclusive Business agenda under the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME).
A key highlight of the event was a keynote address by Yang Berhormat Datin Seri Paduka Dayang Hajah Nor Hashimah binti Haji Mohammed Taib, Attorney General and member of the YSHHB Board of Directors, delivered on behalf of the Chairman of the Board. In her address, she emphasised the importance of stronger coordination, a clear policy framework, and greater cross-sector collaboration to advance the country’s Inclusive Business ecosystem.
The Attorney General also underscored the need for a Whole of Nation Approach and encouraged all stakeholders to contribute data, insights, and recommendations to support the study and help shape more effective policies and programmes.
The keynote address was followed by a presentation on the study’s objectives by Marta Pérez Cusó, Economic Affairs Officer at ESCAP, and a fireside chat moderated by David Soukhasing, Managing Director of Angel Investment Network Indonesia (ANGIN).
The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Finance and Economy, YSHHB, the Brunei Economic Development Board, and ESCAP, with support from Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam.