AEC Feed

The 19th Brunei Consumer Fair (CF19) officially opened its doors to the public on Wednesday in a ceremony at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas, officiated by Mustappa bin Sirat, the minister of communications.
The opening ceremony included a welcoming speech from Danial bin Hanafiah, the executive director of D’Sunlit, a provider of marketing and advertising support services in Brunei, who said the event was especially intended to promote products and services from small and medium-sized enterprises to a broader market.
More than 400 booths have been set up at the ICC this year, with several entrepreneurs from Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore and Pakistan participating alongside local vendors.
With the theme of “The Year Is Yours: What Will You Do with It?’ CF19 is focused on giving back to society. Among the charities benefiting from the proceeds are the Society for the Management of Autism Related issues in Training, Education and Resources Brunei, Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam (Pusat Ehsan), the Brunei Darussalam National Association of the Blind, and the Children’s Cancer Foundation. – Borneo Bulletin

Laos expects increase in mining output value this year
The Laotian Ministry of Energy and Mines says the mining sector is anticipating production value of about 11,742.5 billion kip (Bt50.65 billion) this year, a little more than in 2016.
Output will include about 40.5 tonnes of dore (a mixture of gold and silver), 89.2 tonnes of copper cathode, 376,849 tonnes of copper concentrate, 7,971 tonnes of gypsum, and 411,452 tonnes of potash ore.
With commodity prices rising, the value of Laos’ mineral output is forecast to increase this year, enabling the mining sector to generate more revenue and contribute more to GDP. In the last fiscal year, 2015-16, production was valued at 10,893 billion kip, a 6.2-per-cent decrease from the previous fiscal year.
This occurred because global demand for ores was slow, so mining companies temporarily halted their operations, especially iron-mining projects.
Output in 2015-16 included 643,360 tonnes of gypsum, 76,557 tonnes of copper, 425,760 tonnes of copper concentrate, 625,400 tonnes of potassium, 147,664 tonnes of anthracite and other commodities. – Vientiane Times