• Today: October 28, 2026

Borneo partners seek coordinated approach to attract investment

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Sabah and Sarawak are working towards a shared investment agenda to strengthen Borneo’s position as a destination for sustainable investment and create new economic opportunities across the subregion.

The Borneo Business Roundtable 2026, held at Rizqun International Hotel on Tuesday, brought together investment promotion agencies, policymakers, business leaders and regional institutions to identify opportunities for cross-border investment.

Held under the theme “Invest Borneo: Building a Shared Investment Agenda”, the roundtable focused on moving beyond discussions on trade and connectivity towards coordinated investment promotion and practical partnerships.

Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Datin Paduka Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Wahab and Chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz at the Borneo Business Roundtable 2026. PHOTOS: SIM Y.H

The event was hosted by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Brunei Darussalam and the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Brunei Darussalam under the Brunei Economy Programme, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP).

Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Datin Paduka Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Wahab delivered the keynote address, reaffirming Brunei’s commitment to closer economic cooperation with its neighbours and highlighting the importance of coordinated investment promotion in creating opportunities for businesses.

Chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz also delivered opening remarks.

The roundtable was anchored on UN ESCAP’s Invest Borneo initiative, funded by the Islamic Development Bank. The initiative supports the development of a subregional investment promotion action plan aligned with the ASEAN Regional Investment Promotion Action Plan 2025–2030.

Among the participants of the Borneo Business Roundtable 2026.

The proposed plan aims to help investment promotion agencies identify complementary sectors, agree on shared priorities and coordinate efforts while maintaining their respective national mandates.

Representatives from the Brunei Economic Development Board, Indonesia Investment Promotion Centre in Singapore and Invest Sabah Berhad presented their investment priorities, target sectors and propositions for investors.

A key discussion, titled “From Collaboration to Investment Partnerships”, examined opportunities across energy, logistics, tourism, healthcare, food, digital services, infrastructure and special economic zones.

Participants identified energy, logistics, food security, tourism, healthcare and digital services as promising areas for collaboration, while emphasising the need for stronger coordination among investment promotion agencies, regular public-private sector dialogue and project-level partnerships.

They said Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Sabah and Sarawak could strengthen their investment appeal by presenting their complementary economic strengths as a coordinated proposition rather than competing separately for investors.

The discussions will help inform the Invest Borneo subregional investment promotion action plan in the coming months.

First convened in 2023, the Borneo Business Roundtable is part of the annual Brunei Economy Programme, which connects businesses, government and international partners on economic priorities in support of Wawasan Brunei 2035.

 

SOURCE/AUTHOR : BORNEO BULLETIN

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