The initiative to promote and oversee the development of the Brunei Halal Brand in the global market is well under way and could be achieved in two-three years’ time as discussions with a string of reputable contacts are currently in progress.
Hjh Suriyah bte Hjh Umar, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, said this after the closing ceremony of the fifth International Halal Market Conference (IHME) at the ICC yesterday.
Asked where the Brunei Halal Brand stands now, Hjh Suriyah said, “At this stage, we are trying to penetrate the market in Singapore supported by a set of networks that Ghanim has been building.”
Hjh Suriyah, in describing the purity and simplicity of the Brunei Halal Brand, said, “It strictly enforces an alcohol-free environment during conferences” implying the high standards of the certification.
“In other Muslim countries, they serve alcohol during conferences but in Brunei we strongly prohibit it,” Hjh Suriyah said, adding how it has impressed the participating companies from overseas over the course of the expo.
“The Brunei Halal products were discussed a year ago and they have finally materialised and are evident from the sale of hampers,” she added.
“We are hoping that the Brunei Halal products would hit the shelves in nearby countries, such as Singapore, once the brand receives considerable recognition,” said Hjh Suriyah.
The Brunei Halal Brand is going to be pushed further to an even bigger scale such as in the UK.
Hjh Suriyah said many of the invited speakers have good faith in the Brunei Halal Brand and that will be a good start to try and hit the target market in Europe.
The last day of the International Halal Market Conference witnessed the review and summary of the IHMC theme, challenges and opportunities by a panel of invited guest speakers, as well as discussions by committee members.
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