By: Queenie Resmundo
Citizens in brunei have their own way of supporting their frontliners and entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 crisis.
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD), an Islamic bank in Brunei, led the initiative and launched the country’s first integrated online marketplace called “Community for Brunei” to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
About 50 vendors whose revenues have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have joined the launch of the e-commerce platform. BIBD are still accommodating food vendors who wish to be added to the marketplace.
Community for Brunei is a two-pronged project – one is #CommunityforCOVID while the other is #CommunityforRamadhan.
Through the website, members of the public can purchase care packages such as food, drinks, etc. sold by MSMEs in the marketplace via the Community for COVID tab. Once the order has been paid online, vendors will arrange the delivery to the frontliners.
It’s a simple act of kindness made convenient! Not only does it provide moral support to the healthcare staff, but it also helps Bruneian entrepreneurs and delivery riders earn during the pandemic.
Community for Ramadhan is another commendable and timely sub-project of this initiative. Brunei mandates social distancing to contain the spread of the virus, hence mass gathering such as Gerai Ramadhan or food stalls during Ramadan has been cancelled.
The digital platform opened opportunities for small business that rely on the annual Ramadhan Gerai to sell their products. Citizens can now order online the food of their choice from the comfort of their home.
On top of these, vendors’ registration fees in the platform will be waived for the first three months, allowing entrepreneurs to keep 100% of their sales.
“We hope Community for Brunei will become the premiere destination for local businesses, enabling them to scale and grow while at the same time, allowing a place for the public to give back to the community,” said BIBD’s Chief Marketing Officer Hjh Nurul Akmar Hj Mohd Jaafar in a virtual press conference with Biz Brunei.
To learn more about this initiative, visit https://communityforbrunei.com/.
SEA Wave magazine’s #SEAtizens initiative is a series of inspiring stories of people in Southeast Asia who champion the human spirit by demonstrating courage, ingenuity, generosity, and selflessness amidst the current crisis.