Brunei eyes M'sia ties to lift co-ops
Friday, June 22, 2007
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM cooperatives are set to get a boost as the sultanate gears to sign an accord with the Cooperative College of Malaysia aimed to bolster the capability of local cooperatives to manage businesses.
A memorandum of understanding is currently being drafted that will detail the sharing of knowledge, experience, information as well as cooperation in the area of research and development and training cooperatives' members as well as the Brunei Industrial Development Authority (Bina) staff.
The news comes on the back of the Ministry of Industry of Primary Resources expressing his desire for Brunei Darussalam to join the International Cooperatives Association.
Prior that, however, Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Dr Awg Hj Ahmad Hj Jumat has called for the establishment of a national model for cooperatives to look up to.
"We need a model so that cooperatives can know the way forward." said Pehin Dato DrAwg Hj Ahmad.
"The National Cooperative Alliance (GKN) is encouraged to carry out their own projects and not to wait for directives from the Ministry."
Speaking from his own experience as a head of a cooperative, Pehin Dato Dr Awg Hj Ahmad said that the initiative must be taken and there should not be an over reliance on government assistance.
Currently, the sultanate has 160 cooperatives, comprised of 18,000 members.
The figure indicates that only about five per cent of Brunei Darussalam's population is involved in cooperatives, whereas neighbouring countries Singapore and Malaysia have 50 and 20 per cent of their population, respectively, involved in cooperatives.
Bina will be working closely with the National Cooperative Alliance to look at addressing some of the issues faced by the alliance, including financing and problems on finding a base of operations.
The Brunei Times
A memorandum of understanding is currently being drafted that will detail the sharing of knowledge, experience, information as well as cooperation in the area of research and development and training cooperatives' members as well as the Brunei Industrial Development Authority (Bina) staff.
The news comes on the back of the Ministry of Industry of Primary Resources expressing his desire for Brunei Darussalam to join the International Cooperatives Association.
Prior that, however, Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Dr Awg Hj Ahmad Hj Jumat has called for the establishment of a national model for cooperatives to look up to.
"We need a model so that cooperatives can know the way forward." said Pehin Dato DrAwg Hj Ahmad.
"The National Cooperative Alliance (GKN) is encouraged to carry out their own projects and not to wait for directives from the Ministry."
Speaking from his own experience as a head of a cooperative, Pehin Dato Dr Awg Hj Ahmad said that the initiative must be taken and there should not be an over reliance on government assistance.
Currently, the sultanate has 160 cooperatives, comprised of 18,000 members.
The figure indicates that only about five per cent of Brunei Darussalam's population is involved in cooperatives, whereas neighbouring countries Singapore and Malaysia have 50 and 20 per cent of their population, respectively, involved in cooperatives.
Bina will be working closely with the National Cooperative Alliance to look at addressing some of the issues faced by the alliance, including financing and problems on finding a base of operations.
The Brunei Times
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