China's Hengyi plans huge investment in Brunei

Commitment to Local Business Development and Employment Opportunities

Hengyi's partnership with the Brunei government is a win-win deal as the PMB project coincides with Brunei's efforts to diversify its economy through developing non-energy sectors.

The oil-rich ASEAN member state has long been searching for opportunities to develop downstream industries instead of simply exporting crude oil. Hengyi's investment plan at PMB will act as a catalyst for other major companies to invest in Brunei and thus reduce the economy's chronic reliance on oil and natural gas exports.

The PMB project will create approximately 2,500 jobs over the two phases, most of which are for local residents. According to Hengyi, locals are expected to account for 60 percent of the total workforce in eight years after the plant commence operation.

Currently, the PMB project has 140 employees, of which more than 50 percent are Brunei residents.

In addition, Hengyi has launched a long-term professional training scheme for local employees in order to address the potential lack of petrochemical technicians in the future. Under the scheme, about 20 local employees will be sponsored each year to study at Zhejiang University for a bachelor's degree in petrochemical technologies. The program started this year with 13 scholars currently undergoing the training scheme.

Hengyi has also been committed to protecting the surrounding environment at its PMB plant given that petrochemical plants are often misconstrued and criticized for their undesirable environmental impact to the surrounding areas. Hengyi and its contractors have recently initiated a "Keep Brunei Clean" campaign along the South Eastern shore of PMB. The campaign is aimed at developing a sense of responsibility and accountability among Hengyi's staff to preserve cleanliness and serenity at PMB.

"Protecting the environment is something that Hengyi has been advocating from day one. Brunei is a beautiful and clean country and we would like to play a part in ensuring that it remains that way. There are a lot of containers, debris and floating wood that have washed ashore along the beaches at PMB and it is everyone's responsibility including Hengyi's to ensure the beaches around the island and across Brunei are kept clean," said Shen Xiaofei, deputy director of Hengyi's Integrated Project Management Team.