MSME Roundtable Series Continues with Strategic Focus on Strengthening Brunei's Workforce Ecosystem

Bandar Seri Begawan, 08 December 2025 – The Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) organised the 2nd MSME Roundtable Series on Manpower and Workforce Challenges held today, 8^th December 2025 at J Hotel, providing a platform for convening government agencies, business councils, and local enterprises to collectively address key workforce challenges affecting MSME competitiveness. The MSME Roundtable Series is held in collaboration with the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Brunei Darussalam (NCCIBD), ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Brunei, APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Brunei, and the BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) Brunei.

The Roundtable session was chaired by Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II and Chairman of the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB). The dialogue brought together policymakers, industry stakeholders, and business leaders to exchange perspectives, identify workforce-related challenges impacting MSME operations, and align efforts to strengthen Brunei’s labour ecosystem in support of long-term private sector future growth towards supporting Wawasan Brunei 2035’s economic goals of a Dynamic and Sustainable Economy.

In his keynote address, Yang Berhormat Dato highlighted that workforce challenges remain a central issue affecting MSME productivity and national aspirations under Wawasan Brunei 2035. Citing the Labour Force Survey 2024, Yang Berhormat Dato noted that Brunei’s working-age population stands at 346,000, with a labour force participation rate of 67.4%, despite the unemployment rate easing to 4.7%. Despite these improvements, MSMEs continue to face challenges in hiring, retaining talent, and addressing skill gaps in operational, technical and digital roles, which limit productivity.

Yang Berhormat Dato further referred to findings from the Manpower Planning and Employment Council’s Employer-Based Survey, which showed that more than 60% of employers face difficulties in retaining local employees due to various reasons, with over 35% reported employees resigning without notice, creating operational strain to the MSMEs.

To emphasise the need for coordinated and practical action, Yang Berhormat Dato stated, “Our mandate is clear: we must remove the frictions that impede business growth, build the skills and Human Resource capacity that our MSMEs need, and deliver tangible results.” He further reiterated that meaningful progress requires close collaboration between government agencies, companies, and educational institutions to strengthen workforce readiness and ensure businesses can access the talent required to operate and grow effectively.

In his welcoming remarks, Acting CEO of BEDB, Daniel Leong also emphasised the importance of collaborative partnership and public-private cooperation in addressing manpower challenges, “This dialogue is deliberately designed as a collaborative platform. It brings together all stakeholders, government agencies, industry representatives, and MSMEs, as partners, working toward shared goals: to strengthen Brunei’s enterprise ecosystem and accelerate economic growth. By exchanging perspectives and working collectively, we can strengthen the business ecosystem and develop practical solutions that benefit everyone. Together, we can make a meaningful and lasting impact on Brunei’s economic growth.”

These topics were carefully chosen to reflect recurring issues highlighted by MSMEs during engagement sessions throughout the year, and form part of BEDB’s broader efforts to strengthen enterprise capability and support private sector development.

Commissioner of Labour, Awang Muhammad Saufi bin Awang Haji Ibrahim, welcomed the discussions and reaffirmed the importance of close inter-agency collaboration, “Many of the issues raised today are interconnected, and addressing them requires coordinated effort across agencies. We appreciate the constructive input from MSMEs and remain committed to working together to improve facilitation, enhance clarity, and streamline processes where appropriate.”

BIMP-EAGA Country Director from the BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) Brunei, Haji Alimen bin Haji Ja’afar, highlighted the value of the roundtable platform, “MSMEs want clarity, predictability, and support. This roundtable is an important step in ensuring that industry perspectives are heard and factored into ongoing efforts to strengthen the labour ecosystem. Continued cooperation between government and the business community is essential to improve hiring outcomes and long-term workforce readiness. We appreciate BEDB and the government’s commitment in providing this platform for structured engagement.”

Marcus Tan, Director of A.Ayam, a participating enterprise, shared the importance of practical improvements to support day-to-day operations, “Hiring and retaining the right people has a direct impact on our ability to meet customer demand and maintain service quality. Today’s session gives us confidence that the challenges we face are being addressed with genuine attention and a willingness to find workable solutions.”

The MSME Roundtable Series serves as a long-term engagement platform between government agencies and business stakeholders to co-develop targeted, actionable solutions that advance sectoral development in line with the Brunei Darussalam Economic Blueprint.

Upcoming sessions will explore other priority sectors, along with shared challenges and opportunities across the business community. The series aims to maintain focus on enabling enterprise growth, enhancing regulatory efficiency, and strengthening Brunei Darussalam’s overall competitiveness. BEDB continues to welcome feedback, challenges, and issues faced by businesses, and encourages the business community to reach out through its Business Helpdesk hotline at 8363442 or 8330520.