Yang Mulia Bapak haji Rahman Bin Haji Chuchu, the Director of Promotional and Entrepreneurial Development of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.

 

Distinguished experts and participants of the meeting,

Assalamu’alaikum wr. wb.,

Good morning,

 

It is indeed a distinctive honor for me, on behalf of NAM Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC) to be able to join this opening ceremony of an important meeting of experts and decision makers on ‘Increasing Prospects for Rapid and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development through Business Incubators and Entrepreneurship’. Allow me to also extend my profound appreciation to the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources of the Government of Brunei Darussalam that made this joint endeavor with NAM CSSTC possible. I would like also to take this opportunity to welcome all the participants in this part of the world, this beautiful tropical country of Brunei Darussalam. I know that some of you have been traveling thousand miles to be here and it is great honor for us.

 

It is indeed a timely to convene this Meeting of experts and decision makers as you all may have aware the important role of small and medium enterprises in the economic development of developing countries. It is almost depend on the output of their SMEs. They also have been proven to be resistant ad less vulnerable to the shock of the economic and financial crisis, as well all had witnessed few years back in Asia. SMEs have been the prime mover for the economic recovery as they provided better chance and opportunity for their peoples by creating employment and boosting the local potentiality.

 

However, in reality most of the SMEs have still faced many obstacles in expanding their business at national as well as international level. Most of them lack of entrepreneurship, particularly in managerial, administrative and technical skills; lack of access to credit, limited knowledge of more advanced technologies and unable to get market access. These issues were clearly identified in the past workshop on “Promoting Sustainable Growth and Competitiveness of the SMEs in a Globalized Market through E-Commerce” which was held here in Bandar Seri Begawan in October 2001 by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources in cooperation with NAM CSSTC. It is therefore, this meeting is convened as a follow-up of the workshop to find ways and means to overcome the obstacles faces by most of the SMEs in the NAM member countries.

 

Our meeting today will focus on the issue on the business incubators and entrepreneurship as the most important engine for economic growth. Through business incubators, potential of small and medium scale business would be able to create new opportunity and Improving its competitiveness. However, obtaining entrepreneurship skill is the most important element for the success. Lack of entrepreneurship has been the major problems in the developing further of the small and medium business. Taking the experience of Pertamina, the Indonesia Oil Company, that has nurtured 200 SMEs by giving easy credit, and only 10% is able to expand their business but the rest went out off business or remain the same. The main reason is the lack of entrepreneurship.

 

At the juncture, NAM CSSTC and the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources believe that setting up a national incubator center should be able to support as well as empower the development of small and medium enterprises. Sharing experiences and know how of a success as well as a failure strongly will enrich each of us on the issues and learn lesson. There so much we can learn from each other on this issue, that more or less in the same situation. Experts, practitioners and decision makers of NAM members have important role in providing with concrete perspectives and recommendations for the solution of economic and social development of the South. Only the South countries know best what they want and need for their people.

 

It is my hoped that this meeting could be followed further by providing technical assistance to the interested parties in advancing their capacity and competitiveness in the regional and international markets.

 

With the encouragement of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources of Brunei Darussalam, NAM CSSTC is convinced that the meeting will fruitful and meet its objectives.

 

Finally, on behalf of the Board of Directors of NAM CSSTC, I would like to express our deep appreciation to the Government of Brunei Darussalam for their unrelenting financial assistance and technical support in rendering this project to a success.

 

Wassalamu’alaikum wr. wb.,

Thank you.