Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah’s (YSHHB) Sara Diri (Self-Reliance) Programme won the ASEAN Inclusive Business Award 2024 on Monday for helping 145 underprivileged Bruneians become independent by starting their own enterprises.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of YSHHB, YB Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awang Halbi Hj Md Yussof, received the award on behalf of the foundation at the Lao Plaza Hotel.
The ASEAN Inclusive Business Award was introduced in 2017 to recognise organisations that integrate low-income communities into their value chains, providing economic opportunities and promoting social and economic inclusivity.
Since 2015, YSHHB’s Self-Reliance Programme has helped train and provide funding amounting to BND 500,000 to 145 Bruneians to start their own businesses under the foundation’s Welfare Funding Scheme (SPK).
The programme’s continuous support — from training to monitoring and financing — was acknowledged by the organisers for not only enabling participants to start their own businesses but also allowing them to provide employment for their families.
Acting Deputy Managing Director of YSHHB Sufinah Hj Sulaiman explained that applicants seeking seed funding to start their businesses must first undergo training under the Asas Berkarih (Foundations of Efforts and Diligence) Programme, preparing their business plans before qualifying to receive startup capital.
“After this, they will be monitored for a period of three years. If successful, they will be entitled to upgrade their business to the next level,” said Sufinah, who encouraged underprivileged or low-income Bruneians to approach YSHHB directly to participate.
YSHHB was invited to apply for the award by the Brunei Economic Development Board, who are the focal point and main representative for Brunei Darussalam to the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME).
Notable businesses that have emerged from the Self-Reliance programme include salted duck egg producer Hazeeyah Agro Farm, and AE Jaya Enterprise, which focuses on woodworking and carpentry.
