Among the biggest challenges is marketing as ‘local products have to contend with established products that can be found readily available at major supermarkets’
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: With the One Village, One Product (1K1P) initiative being pegged as a potential path for economic diversification, plans are currently in the pipeline to ensure that the initiative will eventually find a much stronger footing in the Bruneian market, , Borneo Bulletin reported.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is looking to set up an agency to aid in the promotion, packaging and marketing of products produced by villages under the 1K1P scheme.
The Acting Assistant District Officer, Rostin bin Hj Abdul Aziz during a press conference yesterday said that nations with similar projects have in place agencies to ensure the development of their respective economies and Brunei intends to follow in their footsteps.
At present, the 1K1P project has been described as still being in its “infancy” and stakeholders are still in the process of learning. Rostin said that, “through these kinds of activities,” including the upcoming Fruit Festival, “we are trying to promote the 1K1P and we do admit that, at the moment, the initiative is still developing”.
He however said that more and more people in the country are now aware that such a project does exist not solely for the selling of food products, but the provision of services, promotion of tourism and production of handicrafts.
Among the biggest issues facing the project, he said, is the marketing, especially since local products have to contend with already established products that can be found readily available at most major supermarkets in the country. “We may not be at that level yet but we are currently conducting trials and hopefully, the Ministry of Home Affairs along with the Brunei-Muara District Office can formulate a plan as a means to compete,” he said.
A number of1K1P projects have already been endorsed by government ministries as part of Brunei’s tourism initiative. “We are very proud of these developments and hopefully in the future, with assistance from other committees, we can further establish such endeavours and compete with other similar businesses,” he said.
Helping the ministry and the Brunei-Muara District Office, the Bureau for Consultative Councils, where they can plan for their constituent’s economic welfare, safety and more, is aimed at encouraging their entrepreneurs as well as to utilise facilities that are readily available.
The initial plan for 1K1P is to first start small and promote products made by the people of Brunei for the people of Brunei, and eventually expand to include a bigger client base beyond the borders of the Sultanate.