4th International Halal Market Conference organising committee is
holding a workshop to help small business in the Sultanate expedite
their entry into export markets for halal products.
The strategy
for this year’s conference slated for August will be to hold a workshop
before the conference to discuss issues and gather feedback from
potential and existing halal exporters, said Effandi Hj Salleh, head of
the entrepreneurial development centre of the Ministry of Industry and
Primary Resources and a member of the organising committee of the
upcoming international halal conference. The workshop should help small
and medium enterprises (SMEs) familiarise themselves with what needs to
be done to finally start exporting.
The Brunei Times could not
independently verify whether there has been a significant number of
Bruneian SMEs that have succeeded in penetrating export markets for
halal products as a result of the first three halal market conferences.
“I
have spoken to our permanent secretary and he said that July will be
fine to have the workshop with the SMEs,” said Effandi. “We are
narrowing the workshops down to 30-35 potential and existing exporters
in the food industry.”
This year’s conference is themed “Halal
Industry: Engine of Economic Growth and Opportunity”. Effandi said that
as the interest in halal products continues to grow, so does the
implementation of newly developed standards, commercialisation and
international joint ventures.
The conference will aim to
showcase the advances and opportunities that make up Brunei’s halal
agenda and to share views, knowledge and expertise through discussions
based on various topics relating to halal business ventures.
Conference
sessions will tackle, among others, Brunei’s role in the global halal
market, developing infrastructure for the halal industry and halal
guidelines for the pharmaceutical sector. The Brunei Times
