Brunei
Darussalam's Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bulqiah was in
Singapore from October 31 to November 4 to attend the Singapore International
Energy Week (SIEW 2011), as well as conducting sideline working visits to
various industries linked within the energy domain.
The week kickstarted with her attending the opening
of SIEW 2011 at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre, where
she also sat in for the Singapore Energy Summit, Downstream Asia 2011
Conference and even visiting the Downstream Exhibition.
Apart from attending SIEW 2011, she spent the
rest of the week visiting organisations relating to oil and gas, and downstream
and power, to find out more about their roles and attributes in the development
of the energy sector.
As part of HRH's busy schedule, she also
visited the Mitsui Phenols Singapore (MPS) Pte Ltd in Jurong Island. Jurong
Island is home to the world's chemical giants, where more than 90 leading
petroleum, petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and manufacturing companies from
all over the world are located. The island boasts a total gross investment of
more than US$27 billion, according to the Singapore Industry Chemical Council.
On the final day of her working visit, she
went to Senoko Energy Pte Ltd, which is one of the island-state's largest and
most efficient power generation companies, providing about one-third of the
country's electricity as well as the Neste Oil Singapore Pte Ltd, whose core
business is in renewable fuels.
Following the conclusion of her five-day visit
to the island-state, the princess consented to answer questions posed by The
Brunei Times, where she shared her views on the impact the energy sector will
have on Brunei, as well as the highlights of her trip.
The Brunei Times: HRH has clearly expressed
interest in the energy sector, as seen throughout the visit here in Singapore.
Can you give us your view?
HRH: It is my beloved father's visions and
aspiration to further develop Brunei Darussalam and realise the objectives and
vision of the Wawasan 2035 as a sustainable economy and growth in a challenging
world. Personally I see it as the rebirth of Brunei Darussalam in 21st Century.
I envision a new paradigm for the future of
Brunei Darussalam because our country has recently begun a period of
extraordinary growth. A politically
stable country, rich in cultural heritage and energy resources has begun a new
era of development, with renewed national focus on local industrial growth and
significant additional discoveries of offshore oil and gas fields.
BT: How did HRH find the visits to SIEW 2011
on Monday and Tuesday (October 31 and November 1), as well as the sideline site
visits? What has HRH learnt from this experience?
HRH: I am very honoured to be given the
opportunity to participate in SIEW 2011 as well as the sideline site visits.
It was an eye opener as it gave me the insight
on the current and future challenges in the energy sector such as Climate
Change and Technological Advancements and the potential consequences to Brunei
Darussalam who was always been a key player in the Energy Sector in Asia.
With the shift in the Energy Spectrum from the
west to east (Asia), Brunei now has to play an even more important role in
supporting this shift in order to ensure its economic sustainability.
BT:
What were the highlights of HRH's trip here in Singapore?
HRH: The visit to Jurong Island was my
highlight because this further strengthened my belief that Brunei's plan to
develop Pulau Muara Besar as an integrated Energy Industry is a logical
strategy.
The Jurong Island model has proven that the
development of Pulau Muara Besar is possible and feasible as long as the Brunei
Government plays its role in providing the right support and infrastructure.
What impressed me the most was how the various
companies on Jurong Island are complementing each other to have an efficient
and effective business operation and did not give rise to any monopoly.
BT: Are there any other interests HRH has
apart from the energy sector regarding national development that HRH would like
to share? For example, youth development, sports and social welfare?
HRH: An effective education system is a vital
platform for Brunei Darussalam to realise
the objectives and vision of Wawasan 2035 and the energy sector will
play a crucial role as a catalyst for the success of youth development, Sports
and social welfare through scholarships, sponsorships, promoting good Corporate
Social Responsibility and thus will enable the Government to concentrate as an effective regulator.
Rachel Thien
The Brunei Times
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment