Asia Outlook - Issue 43

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Issue 43

CHIP MONG INSEE CEMENT CORPORATION

Enriching lives through people, products and best practices

TKI GROUP

Backing resource businesses with exemplary service

ENERGISING COMMUNITIES IN PNG

Delivering a complete fuel solution to urban and rural communities alike, Puma Energy PNG takes great pride in being a local socioeconomic stalwart ZTE’s Jiashun Tu explains how network slicing is enabling the wealth of 5G to be shared further than ever before

travel magazine THAILAND TRAVEL GUIDE

MALAYSIA TRAVEL GUIDE

M A L AYS I A

THAILAND This Southeast Asian country is a perennial favourite, thanks to an intoxicating combination of beautiful beaches, world-renowned cuisine and incredible temple complexes

Malaysia is a melting pot with a unique culture, a world-renowned food scene and a spectacular landscape of islands, ancient rainforest and mountains

ISSUE 01

Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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nown as the ‘Land of Smiles’, Thailand is a friendly country that welcomed 38.27 million tourists to its shores last year.

There are plenty of reasons why this Southeast Asian destination is so popular.

For a start, there’s the beaches. In the south, Thailand’s two coastlines stretch for miles, populated by swathes of icing-sugar soft sand, the bays speckled with dramatic limestone formations. Thailand is also home to 1,430 islands, ranging from full moon party spots like Koh Pha Ngan to the more off the beaten track Similan Islands, a national marine park popular with scuba divers.

Then, there’s the food. Thailand’s noodles, stir fries and curries are beloved around the

world, characterised by the fragrant taste of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and tulsi. Every town is bursting at the seams with floating markets, street food stalls and high-end restaurants where you can try delicious local dishes.

Thailand’s rich spiritual heritage also attracts tourists. Golden temples and larger-than-life Buddha statues can be found across the country. Visitors can experience colourful religious festivals in the northeast of the country or explore the underground cave shrines in Kanchanaburi and Phetchaburi.

Despite Thailand’s popularity, it’s easy to find a quiet corner to relax, be it on a deserted island or an eco-retreat in the craggy mountains north of Chiang Mai.

Writer: Dani Redd Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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here are many reasons why Malaysia is a tourist favourite.

For a start, there’s the landscape. Imagine 878 islands, ringed with white sand beaches leading down to translucent waters. Vibrant coral reefs lie just offshore, home to a profusion of marine life. Inland are ancient rainforests, the shaded canopy seemingly impenetrable.

Take a guided walk to learn about this habitat’s astonishing biodiversity.

You might even catch sight of a tapir, or a silver-leafed monkey swimming through the jungle canopy.

Outdoor enthusiasts will also relish tackling some of region’s towering granite mountains or exploring the intricate networks of limestone caves.

Then, there’s the culture. Malaysia

is a melting point of Malay, Indian, Chinese and aboriginal groups (Orang Asli). There’s a packed calendar of religious festivals, including Wesak, or Buddha’s birthday, celebrated with processions of flowers and candles.

Cities such as Melaka and Georgetown boast fascinating heritage districts where you can experience this fascinating fusion for yourself. Make sure you take time out to try Malaysia’s delicious cuisine, which reflects its multicultural population.

Of course, Malaysia has a modern side too. It can be found in the malls, skyscrapers and fine dining restaurants in larger cities, such as the capital Kuala Lumpur.

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA Travel’s last frontier

NAMIBIA

Otherworldly desert landscapes

EUROPE’S CHRISTMAS MARKETS

NAMIBIA TRAVEL GUIDE

SEYCHELLES TRAVEL GUIDE

Five festive picks

S E YC H E L L E S Most people visit this archipelago in the Indian Ocean for the beaches, but it has much more to offer than that Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

A GUIDE TO THE

NAMIBIA Namibia is a country of rugged, otherworldly landscapes; a desert realm with a complex history and culturally diverse inhabitants Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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amibia is known for its sparse, otherworldly landscapes. It gets its name from the Namib, the world’s oldest desert; a sparse, windswept region extending 1,900 kilometres down Africa’s Atlantic coast. The desert is characterised by its red dunes, which plunge down towards the ocean at Sandwich Harbour and Skeleton Coast. It’s also known for its white clay and salt pans, such as Deadvlei, where there are hundreds of ossified trees.

Another scenic spot in the desert is Moon Landscape, named after its eerie, pockmarked topography.

But sightseeing in Namibia isn’t just about deserts.

Inland you’ll find the green-gold grasslands of the Kalahari, and rugged mountains such as the Brandberg, Spitzkoppe and Damaraland.

Tourists flock to Namibia to experience its remote corners. Hot air ballooning, sand boarding and offroad quad bike excursions are all popular activities.

When it comes to safaris, Namibia offers some unrivalled experiences – head to Etosha National Park to see big cats, elephants and black rhinos.

Namibia has a fascinating history. It was inhabited as early as 25,000 BC, with tribes such as Ovambo and Herero gradually migrating into the country. In the “Scramble for Africa” Namibia became a German colony, known as German South West Africa, in 1884. After over a century of bloody battles, Namibia finally gained independence in 1990. These days it’s a country rich in historical attractions and cultural diversity; a country with plenty of stories to tell.

SOLOMON ISLANDS

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escribing the Seychelles, it’s easy to veer into cliché. These picture-perfect islands are blessed with white sand beaches lapped by translucent water, fringed with palm trees and interesting rock formations. The dramatic sunsets, laidback atmosphere and a wide range of luxury accommodation make them a popular spot for honeymooners.

The Seychelles consists of 115 islands and some small islets, located

in the Indian Ocean at a crossroads between Asia and Africa. Most of the action is concentrated around the three major islands: Mahé, La Digue and Praslin. Mahé is the largest and most populous; home to the capital, Victoria, and transport hub to the rest of the islands. La Digue is renowned for having some of the best beaches in the archipelago. Praslin, meanwhile, is home to the idyllic Vallée de Mai nature reserve.

But there’s more to the Seychelles

than just the beaches. Trek through the granite mountains and lush rainforests of the Morne Seychellois National Park. Try some of the island’s traditional Creole dishes at a local restaurant. Or if you’re a nature lover, head to Bird Island to observe its population of fairy terns and common noddies, as well as the giant Aldabra tortoises endemic to the archipelago. You’ll be bowled over by what the Seychelles has to offer.

Interview with Graeme Green, a photographer who has travelled the world from Ecuador to Antarctica

Your Guide to the World T H E U N R E L E N T I N G D E M A N D to travel, both for business and leisure purposes, is showing no

signs of slowing up, and for Outlook Publishing, the growing extent to which we are covering this industry across our existing titles has led to the launch of Outlook Travel magazine.

The major component of the publication takes the form of our Outlook Travel Guides, providing executives, avid travellers and our existing 575,000 international subscribers with the ultimate rundown of all the major economic drivers and thriving hubs across the world, with exclusive input from tourism industry associations and stakeholders – the people who know these places the best.

You can join the vast numbers of tourism sector players enjoying the exposure we provide across our digital platforms with a range of options, from advertising through to free-of-charge editorials, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and increase exposure.

www.outlooktravelmag.com/who-we-are

WELCOME

PNG Reenergised

EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Tom Wadlow tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Jonathan Dyble jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com PRODUCTION Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

P A P U A N E W G U I N E A is nation that is beginning

Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Junior Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT DIRECTOR Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com HEADS OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS David Knott david.knott@outlookpublishing.com Kyle Livingstone kyle.livingstone@outlookpublishing.com Matthew Selby matthew.selby@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Finance Manager: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT Asia Outlook Ground Floor, 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

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to stand on its own two feet in many ways.

Take our cover story for this issue, a catch-up interview with Puma Energy who spoke with us extensively in 2018 about its landmark acquisiton of InterOil Corp’s regional assets in 2014 and the progress made since.

Hulala Tokome is the company’s new Country General Manager, with Jim Collings (2018’s interviewee) now assisting the business in a Chairman capacity.

“Today, Puma Energy stands as an organisation that has at least 100 days’ cover for the entire country’s energy needs,” Tokome tells us. “That is an amazing feat. PNG is ahead of many countries in Asia Pacific, including the likes of Australia and New Zealand, in terms of its fuel stock cover.”

In the field of mining, Tawap Kamen Investment Group is also helping PNG to make significant headway.

A local company founded to respond to the labour needs of the local Ok Tedi Mine that can be found at the foot of Mt Fubilan in the country’s Western Province in 1989, it today employs close to 1,000 PNG nationals and expatriates, delivering an array of critical engineering, construction and transportation services, amongst others, to the region. We talked to General Manager Peter Pridgeon to find out more.

While energy and mining represent beacons of progress for the country, the agriculture sector still stands as the major job provider.

PNG is blessed with the climate, soil and expertise to excel in farming endeavours, but still relies on food imports to feed its people, something which Innovative Agro Industry is determined to reverse through a series of dedicated investments and projects. Ilan Weiss, Chairman and Executive Director, fills us in on some of the pioneering work which is empowering local producers and providing vital employment opportunities to Papua New Guineans.

Staying in the agricultural sphere, this edition’s topical focus feature explores the work of the International Fund for Agricultural Development in India. The organisation’s President Gilbert Houngbo, who previously served as Prime Minister of Togo, provides insight on some of the key projects underway in Asia’s second most populated country.

Also featured this month are interviews with tech giant ZTE, along with exclusive insights form leading figures in the construction, retail and supply chain industries across APAC. Enjoy the issue!

Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing Asia Outlook issue 43 | 3

CONTENTS

10

122 14

REGULARS

6 NEWS Around Asia Pacific in seven stories

8 EXPERT EYE The next decade: From fitness to wellnesss

BUSINESS INSIGHT

10 Technology

Grabbing a Network Slice

120

Inside ZTE’s pioneering SliceStore

14 Economy

The Dawn of the Asian Century?

2020 is the year that Asia’s economy is set to surpass the rest of the world combined

TOPICAL FOCUS

16

16 Agriculture

Agriculture in Action IFAD President Gilbert Houngbo on India’s agrarian development

EVENT FOCUS

118 Future Energy Asia Exhibition & Conference 2020 Bringing together the complete energy value chai

120 ICC Academy’s 9th Supply Chain Finance Summit Blending global perspective with regional highlights

122 Breakbulk Asia Cargo business for Belt & Road starts here

124 3rd CWC Japan LNG & Gas Summit The commercially focused forum for Japanese LNG

126 THE FINAL WORD What will be the biggest trend impacting your industry in 2020?

4 | Asia Outlook issue 43

ASIA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE

22

106

F E AT U R E S

20 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

OIL & GAS

22 Puma Energy Papua New Guinea

112

Energising Communities in PNG

Powering socioeconomic progress across the nation

42 DTEC Petroleum Group

RETAIL

​EPC with Purpose

84

​ elivering quality EPC works to oil and gas D projects around the world

50 B ​ elait Shipping

​Helping Brunei Blossom ​Ensuring O&G works for all

56 Gas & Oil Pakistan

Petroleum made Personal ​Characterised by customer-centricity

CONSTRUCTION

MINING

84 Tawap Kamen Investment Group Empowering PNG

Backing resource businesses with exemplary service

62 Chip Mong INSEE Cement Corporation

TECHNOLOGY

Enriching lives through people, products and best practices

The Futureproofed Printer

A Cambodian Champion

72 Mun Shung & Partners Putting People First

Design with modern living and community cohesion at its heart

106 Retail Prodigy Group Ramping up the Retail Experience

Bringing the best of NIKE, TOMS and Timbuk2 to Australian consumers

FOOD & DRINK

112 Innovative Agro Industry

Inspiring Agrarian Independence Harnessing innovation to commercialise PNG’s farmers

92 Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad (PNMB) Adopting digitisation to continue a 130year legacy​

100 Lintasarta

Indonesia’s One-stop ICT Solution Provider Supporting the national digital drive

​ Asia Outlook issue 43 | 5

NEWS Around Asia Pacific in seven stories…

M A N U FA C T U R I N G

ST Engineering records $8 billion of contracts in 2019

TECHNOLOGY

SIEMENS ACQUIRES INDIAN ELECTRIFICATION COMPANY G ER MAN INDUSTRIAL group Siemens recently announced it was buying Indian electrical equipment maker C&S Electric in a deal worth $296.21 million.

C&S Electric is a private company based in New Delhi, which makes products used to transmit and distribute electricity, including low-voltage switchgear parts. It had estimated sales of around $165.32 million in 2019.

The move will help Siemens provide inexpensive, locally sourced products for India’s low-voltage market, which has been growing at approximately six percent annually over recent years.

“Joining forces with C&S Electric allows us to bring a more comprehensive portfolio that addresses the needs of a very important market,” said managing board member Cedrik Neike.

TOURISM

Tajikistan receives $10 million tourism grant T HE ASI A N Development Bank (ADB), based in Manila, has recently approved a $10 million grant to help tourism in Tajikistan.

“Tajikistan has considerable advantages for developing tourism given its beautiful mountainous landscape, natural assets, and cultural and histor6 | Asia Outlook issue 43

S I N G A P O R E TE C H N O LO G I E S Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) has revealed Q4 2019 contracts worth $1.5 billion, bringing the company’s total for 2019 up to $8 billion.

ST is a global technology, defence and engineering group specialising in the aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors.

Of the Q4 deals secured, more than $1 billion fell into its aerospace business, which specialises in aviation manufacturing and MRO services.

New MRO contracts included heavy maintenance service for a line of Boeing 757s for an America airline from the second half of 2020.

In the UK, ST’s training division secured a contract with Boeing Defence to deliver training capabilities to the Royal Air Force.

ical links to the ancient silk routes,” said Raza Farrukh, ADB’s Project Administration Unit Head in Tajikistan.

The project will help the government move tourism to the next level with a comprehensive development plan and a Tourism Satellite Account, which will provide information on issues such as tourism’s share in Tajikistan’s GDP, national employment, foreign investment, revenues and expenditures. It is expected the project will be completed in 2024.

TECHNOLOGY

ENVIRONMENT

CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala receives record engagement KUAIS HOU TECHN OLOGY, the exclusive interactive partner of the 2020 Spring Festival Gala – aired on CCTV on Chinese New Year’s Eve – announced that 63.9 billion engagements were made during the live broadcast. This is the highest amount in the history of the gala.

CCTV’s Spring Gala has been the most watched TV programme in the world, with 1.17 billion viewers watching the broadcast in 2019. This S U P P LY C H A I N

DHL and JG Summit launch joint transport venture in the Philippines G LO B AL LOGISTICS company DHL Supply Chain has formed a joint venture agreement with local company JG Summit Holdings Inc to provide transport and distribution solutions for companies based in the Philippines.

Both parties have agreed to invest $1.18 million in the joint venture

LOUIS DREYFUS PLANS AQUACULTURE AND BIOENERGY VENTURE IN CHINA

year, it partnered with Kuaishou, who handed out five rounds of virtual “red envelopes” totalling a record $144 million.

A new gift, “Wuhan, go go go”, has been added to Kuaishou’s interface.

These virtual gifts can be donated to the Wuhan Charity Association to help it fight the coronavirus.

company – DHL Summit Solutions Inc – which is expected to begin operating in June 2020.

JG Summit said the expertise of both companies would help provide an enhanced customer experience in the Philippines.

“Working with DHL is the ideal move for us, as we leverage their global footprint and tap onto their expert knowledge to provide integrated industry-leading services,” said Terry Ryan, Asia Pacific CEO of DHL Supply Chain.

TH E AG R I C U LTU R A L commodity merchant Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) recently announced plans to develop aquaculture and plant-based energy production, as part of a joint venture with Donlink Group.

The partnership will lead to the creation of a food industry park near the southern port of Nansha. A total of $1.01 billion will be invested, leading to annual production worth $3.17 billion. LDC has not yet announced a timeline for the project.

AUTOMOTIVE

MAZDA CELEBRATES CENTENARY ANNIVERSARY JA PA N E S E AU TO MA K E R Mazda has reached its 100th birthday. The firm, still headquartered in Hiroshima, marked the milestone with a special ceremony involving 500 executives, employees and invited guests.

Commenting on the achievement, Akira Marumoto, Representative Director, President and CEO, said: “Mazda originated as a company producing cork and then took the path to manufacturing automobiles.

“Now, our cars have found friends with many customers from over 130 countries and regions. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the customers, dealers, suppliers, business partners, and the local community, who have supported us over the years through good and bad times, to whom we owe our 100 years of existence.”

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 7

EXPERT EYE

The next decade: From fitness to wellness Rey Bolivar, CEO of Anytime Fitness Asia, discusses 2020 and beyond in the growing regional fitness industry, and what it will take to win the hearts, minds – and bodies – of consumers Written by: Rey Bolivar, CEO of Anytime Fitness Asia

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n 2020, Asia is poised to take over the GDP of the rest of the world combined, and will contribute 90 percent of the world’s 2.4 billion new middle class by the end of the decade.

As priorities shift from subsistence to sustenance, so will budgets shift from day-to-day life to long-term lifestyles.

The region has a little over 2.5 percent in average gym penetration, with countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam at just or well below the 0.5 percent mark. This presents an enormous opportunity for the fitness industry to expand into markets where governments, businesses, and the local population are only just beginning to place fitness at the forefront of policy making, investment allocation, and personal spend.

While the fitness industry is in its infancy in Asia, it is growing at an exponentially faster pace than mature markets in the US and Australia, driven by the speed in which technology evolves and provides immediate access to information. While trends in decades prior were led by thought leaders and practitioners in fitness, the industry is now led by consumers – who are demanding increased personalisation and shifting away from the mass market distribution that propelled the industry’s initial growth.

In addition, consumers are veering away from the traditional and singular concept of fitness to a more holistic 8 | Asia Outlook issue 43

ABOUT THE EXPERT Rey Bolivar is CEO of Anytime Fitness Asia, where he builds, restructures, and grows club operations to scale across the region. He has over 27 years of experience in the fitness and wellness industry, combining credentials in exercise physiology, exercise science, and sports management from Rutgers and Adelphi, with a breadth of experience operating, expanding and innovating in top fitness brands from New York to Beijing.

Previously, he was Group COO of Will’s Group during the LVMH/L. Catterton acquisition, Head of Global Sales and Marketing for Pure Group, and Director of Town Sports International. view of wellness. Aside from the physical, consumers are in search of brands, products, and services that satisfy their psychological, social, and environmental needs.

Data consolidation, service aggregation With information about consumers and their spending habits more avail-

able than ever before, platforms and industries have been racing to become the preferred repository of data, and the fitness industry is no different. But increased options for consumers have also resulted in fragmented information about their real-world choices and preferences. Restrictions on data use and migration are also becoming the norm, with the California Consumer Privacy Act coming at the heels of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Google killing the cookie in two years.

For the fitness industry, information is separately siloed in equipment, trackers, apps, and visit logs. As consumers take more control over their health, they will also want more control and visibility over their data.

Consolidating these various sources will be a shared or singular objective for players with the end goal of being the preferred service for consumers.

This preference may be strongly shaped by companies who can offer their own services that span the breadth of wellness – from fitness centres to boutique clubs to nutrition to spas to beauty.

Wear it, log it, share it Forecast to grow at 19.1 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the first half of the decade, smart wearables are expected to have increased usage alongside the growth of the fitness industry. Aside from movement and activity trackers, which are physically worn by end users, there has been an overabundance of apps that range from calorie counting to sleep monitoring.

The most successful physical and digital trackers will have a social component, building communities of active users who engage and encourage each other and ultimately promote platform loyalty. Aside from peer feedback, they will have experts in each field of wellness that are available on demand and either at a freemium or within a pay-to-play model.

Personalised goals, shared experiences As the Asia fitness industry focuses on increasing its overall membership base, it is still catching up to the holy grail of the gym business – personal training.

Its value for any gym is unmatched in terms of increasing revenue, building member loyalty, as well as a host of other positive downstream implications for the business. But new modalities and technology, combined with the dearth of certified personal trainers in the region, have changed the landscape of, and the demand for, personal training in Asia.

Where individual training is preferred in many markets, familycentric cultures in the region have shown an increasing preference for group classes, which have shown benefits to gyms such as community

building and extended network referrals especially for older age groups.

Meanwhile, younger consumers are beginning to explore workouts on demand, in keeping with their faster-paced lifestyles. Despite the individualised nature of always-on fitness regimes, users also crave the social aspects found in group training – which is where remote training comes in. There is a movement toward coaching, which enhances the consumer workout experience through empowerment and education instead of standard training, which typically only provides queuing and instruction.

Individualisation and inclusion Beyond services, consumers are increasingly looking at what brands stand for and how they reflect their

own individuality.

The industry, which is known for impossible standards of fitness and intimidating environments, will shift toward inclusivity to break stereotypes and reflect the realities of their member base, and to encourage first-time users to step inside a gym. This requires a move from fitness fanaticism to a more general advocacy for health.

The competition in the industry is not for the 2.5 percent who are already members. In Asia, it will be for the other 97.5 percent who have never contemplated including fitness as part of their routine, or who have been turned off by the traditional view of what’s it like to be in a gym.

Similar to the overall wellness industry, where inclusiveness has become more than a buzzword, fitness will transition from one size (the ideal size) fits all, to all sizes fits all.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 9

ZTE

GRABBING A NETWORK SLICE ZTE’s Jiashun Tu explains how network slicing is enabling the wealth of 5G to be shared further and wider than ever before Writer: Tom Wadlow

E

nterprises in their millions are signing up to the power of 5G. According to a study by Qualcomm, by 2035 5G could underpin up to $12.3 trillion worth of goods and services in industries such as retail, healthcare, education, transportation, entertainment and many more, businesses benefitting in numerous ways, 10 | Asia Outlook issue 43

from productivity gains and remote working opportunities to rural connectivity and smarter office spaces.

Service providers are beginning to reap the benefits in a sizeable way. A recent study by Grand View Research estimates that the global 5G services market size will reach $45.7 billion this year and grow at an average annual

rate of 32.1 percent between 2021 and 2025.

“The most exciting part of 5G is connecting things,” comments Tu Jiashun, Principal Scientist at Chinese telecoms equipment producing giant ZTE. “5G not only creates value for the current telco industry but also opens up opportunities for the digital trans-

TECHNOLOGY formation of other vertical industries, or enterprises.

“Meanwhile, digital transformation for the enterprise will greatly promote the applications of the 5G network and open up a new huge market of system integration. Enterprises will continue to integrate 5G into their service life-cycle process, which greatly increases production efficiency, speeds up the launch of products or services and reduces operational expenditure and capital expenditure.”

However, although the numbers are soaring upwards, some notable challenges remain.

One is maximising the use of 5G networks and opening up access to as many enterprises as possible without imposing prohibitive costs and logistic challenges.

The sub-optimal use of networks is, according to the GSMA, down to the diversity and sometimes conflicting requirements of the businesses using them. For instance, one customer may require ultra-reliable services where another may prioritise ultra-high bandwidth or low latency.

Thus, 5G networks need to be able to deliver a range of requirements at the same time, a logical approach being to build several dedicated networks, each adapted to a specific type of business client.

However, a more economical and efficient approach does exist in the form of network slicing.

How would you define mobile edge computing?

Tu Jiashun: “Mobile edge computing is like ‘fog computing’.

It can be close to the end-user, usually within several miles, while cloud computing can be far away in a Google Alaska data centre, for example. With it being closer to the end-user, edge computing offers low latency to ensure that the network is faster to respond to high volumes of data, avoids expensive and long-distance data transmission, and becomes more secure with far fewer risks of hacks.”

As the GSMA puts it, “network slicing is the embodiment of the concept of running multiple logical networks as virtually independent business operations on a common physical infrastructure in an efficient and economical way”, something which Tu believes will deliver substantial gains to its users.

“In comparison to the substantial investment and the length of time needed to build a physical private network, 5G end-to-end network slicing is provided by the operator’s public mobile network to share all of these expensive resources,” he explains.

“However, due to the regulation of frequency, such a physical mobile network normally has to be made into a nationwide network, which is not suitable for some regional and smallscale enterprises. 5G end-to-end network slicing solutions integrate SDN/ NFV, network slicing and other related technologies to help different types and sizes of enterprises to have their own service-level agreement (SLA) guaranteed in VPNs or network slices at an affordable price.

“This will solve the pain-point of costs for operators and ensure that they can meet the demand for private networks, bringing more competitiveness to thousands of enterprises due to more affordable costs and better end-user experience.”

So, what is ZTE doing in the network slicing space?

The short answer is Slice Store, the industry’s first 5G networking-as-a-service software to sell network slices to vertical industries, enabling the new 5G business models of B2B2C. Through the Slice Store, enterprise customers can customise, purchase, deploy, monitor and operate a network slice from operators.

“This will help vertical industries to reduce total cost of ownership by using 5G slicing and enhancing the end-user experience, subsequently promoting the sustainable ecology of 5G commercialisation,” adds Tu. Asia Outlook issue 43 | 11

ZTE

ZTE’s Slice Store is the industry’s first 5G network­ing-as-a-service software to sell network slices to vertical industries “By enabling the new B2B2C business model, Slice Store supports a large number of vertical industries, especially Internet of Things (IoT) related enterprises adopting 5G networks, and encourages them to develop new use cases supported by 5G in order to increase revenue.”

From an end-user perspective, i.e. the C in the B2B2C model, this can stimulate a better customer experience, as their provider is now directly responsible for the quality (of a video stream, for example) as they can purchase customised network slices to power their services.

Several successful deployments of Slice Store have already been made, including the launch of Europe’s first Slice Store in partnership with Hutchinson Austria in November 2019.

A month earlier, the company teamed up with China Telecom to assist Bluetron Industry Group in launching China’s first end-to-end 5G slicing and intelligent manufacturing solution, resulting in the development of a smart 5G factory. Since then, China Telecom has declared that it will offer 5G end-to-end network slicing to 20 enterprises in Phase I (2019) and 500 enterprises in Phase II (2020).

Another important breakthrough, also in November 2019, came with China Mobile in Guangdong, when the 12 | Asia Outlook issue 43

companies launched 5G end-to-end network slicing via Slice Store.

“The Guangdong province has the same GDP as Russia with eight percent annual growth rate every year,” explains Tu. “At present, the bay area is the fastest growing area in the global economy, especially in the manufacturing industry where every day sees countless smart factories and innovative companies being set up.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS: Tu Jiashun Tu Jiashun has focused on research of the telecom industry including key areas such as time-division multiplexing, internet protocol and cloud for over 20 years and now is the Principle Scientist of ZTE network functions virtualisation and software-defined networking solutions.

As one of the main designers of ZTE 2G/3G/4G/5G and fixed core networks, he is now pushing the telecom network evolution to telco cloud, which will help to converge the cloud technology industry with the information technology industry in the 5G era. Tu has also acted as an associate rapporteur in ITU-T in Q8/SG13 (2004 study period) and Q14/SG13 (2008 study period).

TECHNOLOGY

“DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WITH 5G, MOBILE EDGE COMPUTING, AI/ML AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES WILL BRING INNOVATION TO ALL INDUSTRIES, WHICH IS BOTH A HUGE OPPORTUNITY AND A HUGE MARKET” “With this in mind, Guangdong has a huge demand for 5G, cloud, AI and related new technologies. We believe that the digital transformation of 5G and Industry X.0 will make Guangdong

the centre of manufacturing and innovation worldwide in the near future.”

Guangdong represents an exciting testbed for the likes of Slice Store and another connectivity innovations, and

Tu firmly believes that more is to come in the way of disruption to every sector of the regional and global economy.

He concludes: “It is evident that advances in the mobile network and cloud technology have made significant strides in retail, finance, transport and many other industries.

Digital transformation with 5G, mobile edge computing, AI/ML and other technologies will bring innovation to all industries, which is both a huge opportunity and a huge market.”

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 13

ANALYSIS

THE DAWN OF THE ASIAN CENTURY? Asia’s economy is set to surpass that of the rest of the world combined in 2020, with regional integration and the role of China key to what is being dubbed the start of the Asian Century Writer: Tom Wadlow

I

f the IMF’s 2020 forecasts ring true, Asia will have a larger economy in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms than the rest of the world combined.

The Financial Times has dubbed it as the dawn of the Asian Century, its analysts crunching IMF data on the lines of PPP, considered the most relevant GDP measure as it takes into account what consumers can buy in developing countries where prices are often cheaper.

By 2030, the region is expected to contribute around 60 percent of global economic growth, while Asia-Pacific will be home to some 90 percent of the 2.4 billion new members of the middle-class income bracket.

On a country by country basis, Asia dominates when it comes to the size and growth of GDP. Not only does the region contain three of the world’s top four economies in China, India and 14 | Asia Outlook issue 43

THE ASIAN CENTURY

Key statistics & forecasts 2020 – the year Asia is set to overtake the rest of the world’s GDP (in PPP terms) 60% BY 2030 – proportion of global growth contributed by Asia 15 – number of APAC countries set to sign up to the RCEP agreement 21 OF 30 – number of the world’s largest cities in Asia 2023 – the year Indonesia is set to overtake Russia of the sixth largest economy (in PPP terms)

Japan, the three fastest growing top 10 economies are all Asian (China, India and Indonesia).

It is a remarkable rise of a continent which as recently as 2000 was responsible for a little over a third of global economic output in PPP terms.

But, if the trend is to continue, then cooperation between Asian nations is paramount.

Analysis by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has highlighted the need for further integration in order to maximise the continent’s enormous economic growth potential.

“Despite Asia’s remarkable rise, its family of nations are often kept apart by difficult geography and even more difficult history,” remarks Wang Huiyao, Founder and President of the Center for China and Globalization in an article for WEF. “Fortunately, as the mutual benefits of cooperation

ECONOMY become ever more apparent, efforts to overcome these barriers and deepen regional integration have gained momentum.”

China has showed signs of reviving relationships with other major Asian economies such as India, South Korea and Japan, the eighth China-Japan-ROK summit marking 20 years of cooperation.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has become something of a beacon for multilateral trade liberalisation, a programme now spearheaded by Asian nations after it was ditched by the US, President Trump believing it would be a disaster, leading to a decline in American manufacturing, drop in wages and increase in inequality.

Had the US signed up, the TPP would have become the world’s largest free trade deal, covering 40 percent of the global economy.

It is far from extinguished, however, coming into force at the beginning of 2019, while a group of 15 Asia-Pacific countries are aiming to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) this year. If enacted,

The Asian century is about to begin...

65 Forecast 60 55 50 45 40 35 2000

2005

Share of the world GDP at PPP $

Unctad definition of Asia Sources: IMF, @valentinaromei ©FT

2010

Asia

2015

2020

2023

Rest of the world

it would become a larger trading bloc than the European Union, the main features being lowered tariffs, standardised customs rules and procedures, and widened market access.

Despite India withdrawing from the agreement, China remains a key participant, its wider role in the Asian economy also seen as key to ensuring this is indeed the start of the Asian Century.

“Rather than a hegemon or revisionist power, China’s role in Asia and the world will be to uphold the international order while offering innovative solutions to global governance, in line with its responsibility as a major global player,” Huiyao states. “A key part of this role is to act as a catalyst for integration in Asia and beyond.”

Agreements such as RCEP are a case in point, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is another programme that could further drive economic integration throughout the region.

If fully implemented, the BRI could have an enormous impact around the world. According to recent research by the World Bank, transport projects alone associated with the initiative could result in a growth in global trade of anywhere between 1.7 and 6.2 percent. This would increase global real income by 0.7-2.9 percent and help to lift more than 7.5 million people out of extreme poverty.

“To truly fulfill its potential, over the coming years, the BRI will shift towards a more multilateral approach,” Huiyao explains. “This will allow the initiative to better pool resources, expertise and perspectives from a diverse range of stakeholders.”

The RCEP and BRI highlight how China can play a leading role in integrating Asia’s economy in years to come, although this is not to suggest the world’s largest economy will not continue to reach new heights on its own, as by 2023 it is projected to contribute more than 28 percent of global growth.

But with the likes of India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and many other Asia nations all among the top growing nations in the world, the Asian Century looks set to be a collaborative effort.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 15

TOPICAL FOCUS

AGRICULTURE IN ACTION Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Togo and the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development Gilbert Houngbo unveils the importance of agrarian development in India Writer: Jonathan Dyble

A

griculture – the lifeblood of humanity.

Although our world continues to urbanise at an alarming rate, PwC estimating that roughly 1.5 million new people become part of the global metropolitan population every week, there’s no getting away from the fact that agrarian activities will always be necessary.

And that is no bad thing. Aside from the simple fact that people need to eat,

agriculture remains a crucial function in the economies and societies of countless countries around the world; in tackling climate change, creating jobs, supporting communities, building agritourism, reducing hunger and bolstering food security.

Indeed, its role is no more pronounced than in Asia’s second most populated country.

“Agriculture has always been vital to India,” explains Gilbert Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and former Prime Minister of the Republic of Togo.

“Despite rapid urban growth, nearly two thirds of its people continue to live in remote regions and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. It’s a large part of the reason why the past 50 years has seen dramatic improvements in national output.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS Gilbert F. Houngbo Born and raised in rural Togo, Houngbo has spent more than 30 years working to improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

He served as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Togo between 2008 and 2012 after working at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) between 1996 and 2008, undertaking a number of roles including Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary-General and Africa Regional Director, where he led poverty alleviation programmes in 45 countries in the Sub-Saharan region.

Prior to joining IFAD, he also stood as the Deputy Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), leading field operations in more than 100 countries and managing its bilateral and multilateral partnerships.

16 | Asia Outlook issue 43

IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo (pictured right) has a Matrîse en gestion des entreprises from the University of Lomé, Togo, and a Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées in Specialised Accounting from the University of Québec, Canada

AGRICULTURE

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 17

TOPICAL FOCUS

“AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS FOR ENDING EXTREME POVERTY AND CHRONIC UNDER­ NUTRITION. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT GROWTH GENERATED BY AGRICULTURE IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING POVERTY THAN GROWTH IN ANY OTHER SECTOR”

“The production of food grains increased from 51 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 283 million tonnes in 2018-2019. And as a result, India has been able to transition from a food aid dependent country to a net exporter of its own produce.”

These figures are undeniably impressive. Yet that is not to say that the sector is no longer a challenging one.

While India accrued a $14.6 billion trade surplus from agricultural, fishery and forestry goods in 2018, the local government is consistently having to make bold investments into agrarian reforms and focus on farmer welfare.

Meanwhile, making agriculture more remunerative and attractive for young people, balancing productivity with heightening environmental concerns and moving beyond food security into the realm of nutrition security are all becoming increasingly pressing matters.

The burdens are as vast as the benefits. But that’s where IFAD, an international financial institution and specialised agency of the United Nations, 18 | Asia Outlook issue 43

steps in to help.

“Since 1979, IFAD has invested $1.1 billion in financing across 30 projects, reaching 5.18 million rural households,” reveals Houngbo.

“We strive to build the capacity of farmers and help them to seize market openings with the goal of doubling their incomes. Many of the projects we support facilitate innovative partnerships between farmers and private companies through a variety of activities, whether that’s developing the livestock sector and fisheries, promoting women-led enterprises, introducing agricultural technology, or supporting an overall shift from subsistence to market-oriented and climate-resilient agriculture.”

COMBATTING CLIMATE CHANGE This latter bracket is particularly challenging and unpredictable right now.

There’s no escaping the growing realities of climate change, the devastating bushfires that desolated more than 10 million hectares of Australia earlier

this year just one of the numerous outcomes precipitated by increasingly destructive weather patterns.

Farmers in India likewise are grappling with the effects of global warming, the country’s geological diversity making this a highly complex task. However, testament to the efforts of IFAD and others, critical investments and new technologies are bearing some fruit in the fight.

“During my recent visit to India I was impressed to hear about the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research,” Houngbo reveals.

“The project is analysing specific villages and, through the use of research and technology, predicting and mapping the types and level of risk of climate change events. They are then using this information to help build farmers’ resilience to climate variability and extreme weather events by providing a range of climate-smart practices, technologies and hands-on support.”

AGRICULTURE But what of IFAD itself? Having already delivered everything from female empowerment programmes to rural credit projects and assisted development in India’s Himalayan communities, the organisation is now pursuing eight ongoing projects that

IFAD’s ongoing projects in India The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development currently is currently pursuing a number of initiatives in India.

These include: • Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Farming Systems in the North East (cost: $168.51 million) • Andhra Pradesh Drought Mitigation Project (cost: $148.84 million) • Odisha Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups Empowerment and Livelihoods Improvement Programme (cost: $130.40 million) • Livelihoods and Access to Markets Project (cost: $169.90 million) • Jharkhand Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Project (cost: $115.59 million) • Integrated Livelihood Support Project (cost: $258.79 million) • Post-Tsunami Sustainable Livelihoods Programme for the Coastal Communities of Tamil Nadu (cost: $113.45 million)

also include initiatives dedicated to confronting climate change.

The first of these is the Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Farming Systems in the North East (Mizoram and Nagaland States) Project.

Here, local farmers have been using a cultivation system known as ‘jhum’ that is becoming increasingly unsustainable due to a rising population, soil fertility degradation, topsoil erosion and changing climate patterns.

In order to tackle this accumulation of issues, IFAD and its funding partners have earmarked $168.5 million to provide farmers with more productive and sustainable jhum cultivation practices, assist jhumia communities in adopting alternative farming systems and improving market access and value chain development, directly benefitting a total of 201,500 households.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Drought Mitigation Project is expected to be similarly impactful.

Smallholders in the Rayalseema region and Prakasam area of Andhra Pradesh are affected by vulnerability to drought and depletion of groundwater resources in a context of climate variability.

And again, IFAD is helping to better prepare local people here for such eventualities, committing $148.4 million to help farmers shift their production towards less water demanding, more drought tolerant crop varieties and more diversified, more profitable cropping systems.

ENDURING AND ADAPTING It is often the niche and specific nature of these projects that connect with the local populous, IFAD tailoring its projects to those that need its assistance most. And while reception is critically important to ensuring the longevity and sustainability of each investment, the logic behind this strategy is likewise sound.

“With 1.35 billion inhabitants and a population growth rate of approximately 1.2 percent per year, India is

poised to become the world’s most inhabited country by roughly 2028,” Houngbo explains.

“Since nearly half of India’s adult population works in farming and its related sectors, improving the lives of rural dwellers is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal one (no poverty) and goal two (zero hunger).

“Agricultural development is one of the most powerful tools for ending extreme poverty and chronic undernutrition. It is well documented that growth generated by agriculture is more effective in reducing poverty than growth in any other sector.”

Indeed, the World Bank suggests that this impact is often two, even three times greater in most cases, reaffirming the monumental importance of IFAD’s sizeable efforts.

“That said, it is good to remember that developing both on-farm and off-farm economic opportunities is key to transforming rural areas and leaving no one behind,” Houngbo states as he turns to the future.

“We are optimistic that by empowering rural areas, connecting rural villages to markets, helping rural men and women to access technology, training and financial services and promoting sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture, we can make a difference.

“IFAD’s mission won’t change. But as the aspirations of the rural poor change and the world of development assistance undergoes transformation due to competing demands globally, we must adapt.

“For this reason, we are right now trying to find bigger, better and faster solutions to ending hunger and poverty.”

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 19

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ENERGISING COMMUNITIES IN PNG

Marketi ng Oppo rtunity

OIL & GAS We are the major investor in critical supply chain infrastructure to ensure the country keeps moving. Through this and our refinery, we play a key role in the energy sustainability of Papua New Guinea. Our emphasis on SME development ensures this business sector will continue to grow, key to

empowering the people of this nation.

“We will partner with local entities and deliver a special part of the energy sustainability strategy for PNG, using local crude through a local refinery to feed the energy needs of the nation – a totally self-sustained energy supply chain.”

It’s been well over a year since we last sat down with Puma Energy Papua New Guinea and its then Director Jim Collings, discussing the company’s continual efforts to be a critical chain in the link of successful national development via one crucial component – energy.

The commitments made in the opening quote is where that discussion was left, the overriding message of which was clear – that Puma Energy would continue to play a key role in helping to cultivate a secure and reliable domestic supply of fuels for its growing economy.

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ENERGISING COMMUNITIES IN PNG

Delivering a complete fuel solution to urban and rural communities alike, Puma Energy PNG takes great pride in being a local socioeconomic stalwart

POWERING SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRESS ACROSS PNG

Energising SMEs, investing in individuals and infrastructure, and delivering a complete fuel solution to urban and rural communities alike, Puma Energy PNG continues to take great strides as a local socioeconomic stalwart Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager:Josh Hyland

2 | Asia Outlook issue 43

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 3

ZTE’s Jiashun Tu explains how network slicing is enabling the wealth of 5G to be shared further than ever before

www.asiaoutlookmag.com/get-involved

PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA

ENERGISING COMMUNITIES IN PNG

Empowering SMEs, investing in individuals and infrastructure, and delivering a complete fuel solution to urban and rural communities alike, Puma Energy PNG continues to take great pride in being a local socioeconomic stalwart Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager:Josh Hyland

22 | Asia Outlook issue 43

OIL & GAS We are the major investor in critical supply chain infrastructure to ensure the country keeps moving. Through this and our refinery, we play a key role in the energy sustainability of Papua New Guinea. Our emphasis on SME development ensures this business sector will continue to grow, key to

empowering the people of this nation.

“We will partner with local entities and deliver a special part of the energy sustainability strategy for PNG, using local crude through a local refinery to feed the energy needs of the nation – a totally self-sustained energy supply chain.”

It’s been well over a year since we last sat down with Puma Energy Papua New Guinea and its then Director Jim Collings, discussing the company’s continual efforts to be a critical chain in the link of successful national development via one crucial component – energy.

The commitments made in the opening quote is where that discussion was left, the overriding message of which was clear – that Puma Energy would continue to play a key role in helping to cultivate a secure and reliable domestic supply of fuels for its growing economy.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 23

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PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA

KEY STATS

Puma Energy in PNG In 2014, Puma Energy acquired InterOil Corp’s Napa Napa oil refinery, 52 service stations and 30 fuel depots, terminals and aviation sites. This venture established the company as the largest entity in downstream petroleum distribution in the country, with assets covering all market sectors.

Today, the firm’s complete fuel solution includes services and products spanning lubricants, bitumen, storage, supply, retail, aviation, B2B services, LPG, refining and wholesale.

KEY STATISTICS: • Service Stations: 80+ • Employees: 650+ • Terminals: 23 • Airports: 11 • Refineries: 1 • Storage capacity: 531,500m3 • Market share: >65%

26 | Asia Outlook issue 43

So, as we enter 2020, what better time to ask the critical question: how much progress has been made?

“From the rise of new products such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas (LNG) to the growing role of micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), I can safely say that PNG’s energy evolution has continued to make headway,” states Hulala Tokome, the company’s new Country General Manager (with Collings now assisting the business in a Chairman capacity).

“Today, Puma Energy stands as an organisation that has at least 100 days’ cover for the entire country’s energy needs. That is an amazing feat. PNG is ahead of many countries in Asia Pacific, including the likes of Australia and New Zealand, in terms of its fuel stock cover.”

GRASPING THE OPPORTUNITY Indeed, Tokome’s first reference related to recent breakthroughs made in gas fuels is a point of particular interest.

According to recent statistics from the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, local LNG production rose from seven million tonnes in 2015 to nine million tonnes in 2019, while oil production dropped from 9.5 million barrels to seven million barrels.

2014 witnessed the completion of the infamous $15 billion PNG LNG project, an economic impetus that saw the

extractives sector surpass agriculture, forestry and fishing in terms of its overall contribution to national GDP (20.4 percent compared to 17.8 percent).

And since then, gas products have only continued to become more pronounced year by year.

“LPG and LNG are the products of the moment when it comes to today’s energy market in PNG,” Tokome states.

“It’s a solution that has clear environmental benefits as a fuel, with a carbon footprint around 20 percent lower than conventional heating oil and 50 percent lower than coal. At the same time, however, it is providing the perfect opportunity for socioeconomic empowerment.”

It is this latter point that makes gas a particularly valuable asset in the eyes of Puma Energy.

Aligning with the government’s own efforts to fundamentally facilitate a national energy transition towards natural gas, its Puma Gas division and LPG business model (inaugurated 2017) have maintained a rapid growth trajectory, the company now delivering this crucial product to the country’s urbanised and rural areas.

How? Through an extensive distribution network powered by local people who have been able to capitalise on the tailwinds that this energy transformation is providing.

“LNG and LPG will be key components for us in terms of continuing to deliver the best solutions to our customers,” Tokome affirms.

OIL & GAS

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 27

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PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The Napa Napa Refinery

“But it is also creating a critical ecosystem that is able to support the lives of so many. We’ve been proactively engaging with MSMEs since the launch of our LPG business, encouraging our local communities and people to find a career in this segment and developing a network of reliable resellers as a result.”

To date, the company has cultivated business relationships with hundreds of startup enterprises and entrepreneurs, offering up its time to guide them and develop their skillsets and competencies to ensure the successful distribution of international standard products.

“After year one, our network of local LPG partners stood at around 150,” Tokome adds. “Today, that number has reached more than 360 active dealers with anticipated growth to be in excess of 500 such partners by end of 2020.”

30 | Asia Outlook issue 43

“AFTER YEAR ONE, OUR NETWORK OF LOCAL LPG PARTNERS STOOD AT AROUND 150...

TODAY, THAT NUMBER HAS REACHED MORE THAN 360 ACTIVE DEALERS WITH ANTICIPATED GROWTH TO BE IN EXCESS OF 500 SUCH PARTNERS BY END OF 2020”

QUALITY FUEL PRODUCTS MADE IN PNG LPG is not the only way in which the firm has empowered budding entrepreneurs to leverage the opportunities provided by the oil and gas industry, however. In tandem, it has been collaborating with a small business to find ways to treat and reprocess waste oil.

The initial pilot programme showed promise, and Puma Energy PNG has since been working with the organisation to build capacity so that it may reprocess oil on a scale that will allow it to be blended into other product streams, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the refinery.

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PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Acteus Group Acteus Group is one of the leading supply chain solution experts in the Asia Pacific region, leveraging its capabilities and regional network to reduce costs and increase efficiencies from its base in Singapore.

With a strong reputation for conducting ethical and responsible business, Acteus continuously strives to build long-term relationships with its clients in the oil and gas, mining, aviation fuelling, F&B and renewable energy sectors. An in-depth knowledge of the region, combined with a dedication to generating long-term value for clients is what separates Acteus from the competition.

Puma’s filling stations serve both urban and rural parts of PNG Here, the GM is able to point to Puma’s commitment to support YWAM Medical Ships for a further two years – an entity helping to reach some of the most remote communities in the country with healthcare and training in collaboration with local health providers.

“We are incredibly proud and honoured to be fuelling a journey that, in addition to improving health and training outcomes and delivering sustainable, bright futures for individuals and communities, also provides wonderful volunteering opportunities for PNG’s health professionals and young people to develop new skills and a sense of pride in helping PNG to be a better place,” he states.

“Puma Energy is committed to supporting the PNG community and this agreement with YWAM is just one of the ways we are doing this.

St John Ambulance, a public 32 | Asia Outlook issue 43

institution providing critical ambulance and prehospital care services on the frontline across PNG, is another such initiative.

“October 2019 saw us commit to furthering our relationship with St John for an additional two years,” Tokome continues. “We will continue to supply fuel and lubricants that ensure their brave staff can tend to emergencies across the country 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“St John travel some 300,000 kilometres per year to some of the remotest parts of PNG, and we’re proud to be helping to keep them on the road as they respond to roughly 10,000 incidents on an annual basis – it’s a great number of lives they’re saving.”

The company also supports Cheshire Disability Services, likewise providing fuel for its outreach and mobility services. And it is also active in the education sector, backing the

The dynamic team has established itself as a reliable partner, listening to clients’ needs and creating successful procurement strategies even in the most remote locations, as well as improving cost and time efficiency in the international delivery of goods.

For businesses in need of storage management and export packing services, Acteus has a strong global logistics network. Its agile approach to projects also means it can tailor custom-made services to suit clients’ needs, bringing significant improvements anywhere along the supply chain.

A dedication to social responsibility sits at the heart of what Acteus stands for. Acteus Smiles partners with NGOs to support vulnerable women and children in need. Through education and literacy, the foundation is helping achieve gender equality and female empowerment, for the betterment of the whole community.

With a strong presence in the Asia Pacific region, the expertise to tailor solutions to individual challenges, and a commitment to social responsibility, Acteus continues to drive growth and build partnerships.

www.acteusgroup.com

Experts In: • Procurement & Logistics • Warehousing • Technical Services • Repair and Calibration Industries We Work In: • Mining • Fuel Terminals & Refineries • Aviation Fuelling • Upstream O&G • F&B

Giving companies a brighter tomorrow.

Acteus is dedicated to providing flexible cost-saving supply chain solutions to industrial operations or projects worldwide. Our ambition is to generate long term value to our customers.

Acteus is a dynamic performance-driven company that provides skilled services in Procurement and Supply Chain sectors.

With over thirty years of experience in industries such as Oil & Gas, Mining, Aviation Fuelling and Food & Beverage Processing, each member of Acteus Team across the region brings a full purview of synergistic services to complement our clients’ expertise.

Moreover, our in-depth knowledge of Asia Pacific and a growing regional presence give us an edge over the competition.

Tel: +65 6282 1241

www.acteusgroup.com

contact@acteusgroup.com

362 Upper Paya Lebar Road, Da Jin Factory Building #06-11, Singapore, 534963

PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA Buk Bilong Pikini (Books for Children) initiative and supporting the construction of crucial classroom and schooling facilitates for City Mission.

“Towards the end of last year, we worked with a number of schools within our footprint countrywide to incentivise excellence in schools by providing students with gas stoves and cookers that have helped to transform the lives of their families,” Tokome adds.

“Sitting in the office and going through a daily routine, you often find yourselves complaining about trivial things, and can take life for granted.

But once you step out into rural PNG, you instantly become aware of how lucky you are to be working in the jobs that we are and for a company like Puma Energy.

“We want to continue to energise communities to help them develop sustainably. We try to ensure we have a good spread, from the highlands to Port Moresby and along the coastal regions, and although we’ve only embarked on many of these initiatives in the past year, the feedback we’ve already had is incredible, and we’ll continue to expand upon these efforts.”

REFINERY AND RELATIONSHIPLED INVESTMENT Indeed, LPG and CSR are both a critical part of Puma’s PNG operation. Yet they form just a fraction of the firm’s overall product and service portfolio.

Statistics from the Puma Energy Group showcase the enormity of its wider value proposition: globally, it has 530,000 tonnes of bitumen storage capacity, it owns the largest bitumen ship in the world by carrying capacity and its retail footprint spans more than 3,000 sites across 48 countries, fuelling millions of customers’ journeys.

And that’s not to mention its refinery activities, a core asset for which is the Napa Napa Refinery located in Port Moresby along PNG’s southern border that has been subject to major renovation efforts of late.

34 | Asia Outlook issue 43

Comlek is emerging as one of the leading companies within the engineering heavy Industrial industry.

Originally founded by Michael Donaldson with the drive, Safety and Industry Knowledge required for continued growth.

Comlek moved into the international market with success in tendering for contracts at an innovative Industrial Industries within the Mining, Oil and Gas, Petrochemical and Water/Waste Industries. Comlek has now been successful in delivering it’s expertise to meet its clients targets in the turn key project, on time and within budget.

Leading Engineering Construction and Maintenance Company Breaks Into the International Market With Outstanding Success.

Not only does Comlek respect the Papua New Guinea environment, it is also mindful of employing locals to safely build experience and knowledge to help uplift the economy giving satisfaction to all of their National Employees through defined training programs developed in-house to cater for market demands.

The engineering department has extensive experience in Project Managing turnkey projects including Full Design, Installations, Maintenance and Commissioning Plans.

Comlek provides systems and staff for preventative maintenance strategies, installations, hazardous area/ safety audits, written quality procedures, High Voltage / Low Voltage Installs and testing of electrical equipment, Mechanical Fault Finding and repair of mobile equipment, Process Control and Design. Comlek also supplies mobile plant &equipment for civil projects.

Comlek has a dedicated training department specializing in Hazardous Area High Voltage Competencies which is currently being delivered both in Australia and International Markets along with Arc Flash, AS3000 and AS3008 refreshers.

Comlek, the professional approach to your engineering industry with full accreditation to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BS OHSAS 18001, ASNZS 4801 to give our clients the best service possible..

For more information or wishing to apply for a position please feel free to have a look at Comlek’s website: www.comlek.com.au

Comlek PNG Ltd PO Box 226, Waterfront NCD Papua New Guinea

Phone

1300 840 419 +61 418 794 116 +675 7383 5396

Email

png@comlek.com.au

Web

www.comlek.com.au

PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA “As part of our ongoing commitment to energising local communities with high quality lubricants and fuel right across PNG, we successfully completed a major turnaround and inspection (T&I) at the Napa Napa Refinery last year, closing the refinery for one month,” Tokome states.

“It was a feat recognised globally by the Puma Group. And rightly so – we doubled our on-site workforce,

allowing us to complete the T&I injury free and in accordance with our budgets and timelines. This was all done without any disruption to supply for the country.

“It’s just one of numerous examples of the amazing capabilities of our staff.

They are the fibres of our whole operation, and without the great work that they do day in day out we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are today.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Enabling energy security Puma Energy plays a crucial role in supporting Papua New Guinea’s energy security and economic development: • In 2015 it became the first truly local supplier of bitumen, providing PNG with a secure, local, reliable supply of this critical road construction material during a period of rapid national infrastructure development.

• Through 2015/16, it raised the country’s total fuel storage capacity by 40 percent through a series of strategic investments to ensure energy supply security is maintained.

• It currently caters for 85 percent of PNG’s fuel requirements.

• It has continued to invest in and upgrade the flagship Napa Napa Refinery, alongside a network of crucial terminals and aircraft refuelling facilities, thereby providing a reliable and futureproofed source of energy for the market, delivered via the only national and largest retail network across PNG.

The IPI Group In for the Long Ride The iPi Group is a commercially diversified enterprise that started operations in Papua New Guinea in the early 1980s.

It was initially associated with the Porgera gold mine but later diversified its operations into a wide range of synergies. The iPi Group’s Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Reilly OBE says since diversifying into different synergies, they have managed to provide more services to existing clients in different geographic diversification.

“We have managed to prove our worth around the country and beyond,” he says.

O’Reilly says he is looking for growth to come from improvements to internal efficiency, synergistic expansion and further diversification: “We will look to do what we presently do, but better, we will look to offer more services to existing clientele and we will look to diversify, either through tender or purchases of business.”

As a firm believer in growing a business from the core rather than opportunistic growth, O’Reilly is proud of what the company has achieved, especially in partnering with the Porgera mine in building an airstrip, the fly-in-fly-out accommodation and supplying bricks for underground tunnelling.

“We have offered financial support to sporting groups, charities, churches, schools and medical needs,” he says. “We’ve created bursaries that provide ongoing educational support and we’ve placed females in once male-dominated areas. One particular success story is that of Racheal Naguwen, a young female autoelectrician engaged with iPi Transport whom we’ve supported and have come on top to be the Leading Hand in her department.”

“We have provided dividends, year in and out to give a future for many thousands of our people and we will continue to do so as part of giving back to the communities in which we work.”

www.ipigroup.com.pg

36 | Asia Outlook issue 43

PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Paradise Building Systems Ltd Located in Papua New Guinea, Paradise Builders Ltd has established an esteemed regional reputation in the three decades since its inception.

The company specialises in providing an array of building construction, civil works and freight and logistics services, and has successfully completed numerous major and minor contracts to the consistent satisfaction of its clients.

The firm prides itself on honesty and trust. Be it the construction of banking facilities, schools, airport terminals or any dream home, you can be assured that Paradise Builders will provide a reliable, dependable, high quality service.

www.paradisepng.com

Talk of stakeholder contributions also turns the GM’s attention to Puma Energy PNG’s suppliers.

Deemed similarly crucial to the organisation’s ability to continually exceed expectation, Tokome pays tribute to the mutually beneficial, long standing relationships that have endured both challenging and prosperous circumstances due to the cyclical nature of the oil and gas sector.

“From building and refurbishing our facilities to optimising our logistics, these partnerships have become invaluable,” he states. “We’re able to support and sustain the businesses of our suppliers, and they are able to do the same for us. We develop and deliver solutions that complement each other.”

WHAT OF 2020?

All things considered, it is hard to argue that Puma Energy Papua New Guinea isn’t now better off than it was 18 months ago.

38 | Asia Outlook issue 43

The firm’s alignment with the government in the way of assisting an energy transition towards the LNG/ LPG space is fully underway, while its Napa Napa Refinery and CSR efforts are equally more progressive than ever before. Likewise, the company has provided the platform for MSMEs to thrive, and for infrastructure development to excel owed to its substantial local bitumen resource base.

Combine these strides with a high quality, complete fuel solution portfolio that also includes traditional fuels such as diesel, petrol and kerosene, and the firm’s sensical endeavours have undeniably been fruitful.

But what of 2020? And beyond that?

For the GM, maintaining a balancing act of both keeping things simple and frequently thinking outside the box to adapt to new opportunities is critical.

Puma Energy sees great opportunities within its existing portfolio of activities while also expanding into new ventures within the energy markets.

Terminal Guaging Services Puma Energy PNG LTD partnered with Terminal Gauging Services (TGS) to deliver state-of-the-art automatic tank gauging (ATG) systems and overfill protection systems at their facilities, with four terminal upgrades and several new tank builds, including the brand-new terminal in Alotau.

TGS provide the detailed instrument/ electrical design, equipment supply, installation and commissioning of the ATG system and provided technical training for Puma staff, ongoing maintenance and technical support.

Terminal Gauging Services continues to support Puma in their mission to improve safety and efficiency in their operations.

T +61 (0)419 300 304 E info@terminal-guaging.com.au terminal-guaging.com.au

OIL & GAS

Paradise Builders is committed to building long-term relationships based on integrity, performance, value, and client satisfaction.

• Mining, petroleum and extractive industries.

• Residential properties.

• Commercial & industrial properties including warehousing.

• Supply of specialist labourer with competitive hourly rates & charges for all types of industrial contracts.

• Maintenance & refurbishment works on all types of residential, commercial and industrial properties as specified.

HEAD OFFICE P O Box 7429 BOROKO National Capital District T: 325 0064 / 323 0727 F: 325 2876 paradisebuilders@paradisepng.com www.paradisepng.com

Terminal Gauging Services are the industry specialists to choose for Automatic Tank Gauging and overfill prevention systems. Our professional services include coordinating API 353 process risk assessments and API 2350 overfill Terminal Gauging prevention system reviews. Our engineering services include instrument & electrical design, instrumentation Services are the local procurement & supply, system installation, commissioning, calibrations and maintenance. company with global For more information on services provided or talk to someone about your application reach. With offices and please contact our friendly staff via email at: workshops in Australia and Papua New Guinea, our focus is info@terminal-gauging.com.au delivering world class instrumentation +61 (0)419 300 304 solutions for Automatic Tank Gauging and terminal-gauging.com.au overfill protection Systems to our customers.

Coinciding with the release of API2350 4th Edition for overfill protection in 2012, Terminal Gauging Services was formed with the mission to help bulk liquid storage operators meet their obligations for safer operations; reducing risks to people, the environment and their clients investors, whilst also improving efficiency and profitability of their terminal operations.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 39

PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Puma Energy PNG provides fuel for a huge variety of industries and forms of transport, from jet skis to cruise liners

This is a critical thrust for the business as it drives even harder to energise communities.

“Am I optimistic for the future?”

Tokome ponders as our conversation comes to close.

“Right now, we’re focused on completing a number of projects that will continue to futureproof the business, including the refurbishment of a number of our downstream retail sites, and the construction of a new flagship facility in Port Moresby which we’re expecting to help to transform one particular suburb of the city.

40 | Asia Outlook issue 43

“At the same time, however, the direction of the local oil and gas industry depends on a number of potential projects that are currently pending approval. We’re in talks with both the government and potential developers on this front, and we’re hopeful that these are going to come to an advantageous conclusion. We are here for the long term and will maintain our commitment to PNG and the people we have within our business in partnering and being on this journey together.

“We are excited about the future in being the leader in energising

communities within PNG. Development in PNG tends to come in waves, and we see some of these current pursuits as the catalysts to provide the grounding for the next such phase and being prepared for the future.”

PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA Tel: +675 309 9 400 PNGjobs@pumaenergy.com www.pumaenergy.com

OIL & GAS

Hydraulink Niugini Ltd began in Port Moresby in January 2009 and quickly rose to be the biggest Hydraulic Hose supplier in the area.

Also partly due to also having a variety of Hose, eg.

Hydraulic, Air, Water and Suction Hose has made our service the best in town.

We opened another Hose Shop in Lae in 2013 and supply a similar service to customers there.

Hydraulink Niugini was also the first company in PNG to have a mobile service where we go to the customer. We are also an agent for Baldwin Filters and Rocket Batteries.

Last year Hydraulink Niugini also became the agent for QTec Fire Suppression Systems which is becoming a large part of the business, these Fire Suppression Systems cover Drilling Rigs, Plant Machinery, Underground Mining Equipment, Gen Sets and Container Reach Stackers.

• Transport & Logistics • Equipment Hire & Fleet • Property & Warehouse Rental • Project Management & Support

WWW.PaginigRouP.coM | PH: +675 7366 1464

Malahang Industrial Centre, Lae, Papua New Guinea.

Port Moresby: Ph 323 7650, Mbl 731 410 98, Email fastfix@datec.net.pg Lae: Ph 472 1761, Mbl 752 87210, 75780154, Email dcowan@datec.net.pg hydraulinklae@datec.net.pg

Outlook Creative Services

Supporting PNG in the Mining, Fuel, Marine, Gas & Oil and General Cargo sectors

Operating throughout PNG and neighbouring islands

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

Purewater has been supplying drinking water to Papua New Guinea’s leading commercial organizations and resourcesector participants for over twenty years. The company is recognized internationally for its commitment to quality management and its food-safety

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systems.

www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 41 PW_PumaMag2020.indd 1

9/1/2020 12:24

DTEC PETROLEUM GROUP

42 | Asia Outlook issue 43

OIL & GAS

EPC with Purpose DTEC Petroleum Group continues to serve the engineering and construction needs of major petroleum projects in Malaysia and elsewhere in the region and worldwide Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: David Knott

M

alaysia is one of many Asia Pacific economic success stories of recent times.

When looking at GDP from a purchasing power parity perspective, the region is set to grow beyond the rest of the world combined in 2020, the dawn of what many analysts are calling the Asian Century.

With a similar sized economy to Singapore and the Philippines, Malaysia is certainly playing its part.

Since 2010, the nation has recorded average economic growth of 5.4 percent a year and is expected to transition from an upper middle-income economy to a high-income economy by 2024.

Today, less than one percent of Malaysian households live in extreme poverty, with real average household incomes of the bottom 40 percent growing at 11.9 percent a year between 2009 and 2014 compared with 7.9 percent nationally, an important indicator that economic inequality is narrowing.

This success story has been driven by economic liberalisation.

Following independence in 1957, the country has successfully diversified its economy into a vibrant, open marketplace with a trade to GDP ratio

averaging over 130 percent since 2010, a trend which has resulted in around 40 percent of Malaysian jobs being linked to exporting activities.

In the oil and gas space, export incomes look set to only increase and provide more employment opportunities.

Recent development of gas reserves off the coast of Sabah and Sarawak bodes well, Malaysia now home to proven LNG reserves of 1.183 trillion cubic metres, the 24th highest in the world.

DTEC Petroleum Group knows better than most the workings of the Malaysian oil and gas sector.

The company is led by Founder and CEO Kishore Damodaran, who discovered the opportunities present in the industry during his previous ventures, a career which spans more than 25 years.

“I have 25 years’ experience in general construction works,” Damodaran says. “I have worked on many reputable engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) projects in the capacity of Project Manager and Project Director.”

Among these projects are several in cooperation with Petronas companies, Asia Outlook issue 43 | 43

DTEC PETROLEUM GROUP

ABOUT DTEC PETROLEUM GROUP DTEC Petroleum Group is an international organisation with projects across several parts of the globe.

It operates through several affiliate companies, including DTEC Marine & Heavy Industries Pte Ltd, DTEC Petroleum Sdn Bhd, DTEC Engineering & Construction Sdn Bhd, DTEC Energy LLC (Uzbekistan), DTEC Energy Trinidad (Trinidad and Tobago), and IGWT DTEC Corporation (Philippines).

The company’s specialisations include: civil and structure works; piping fabrication and installation; mechanical works (equipment installation); electrical and instrumentation; hook up commissioning; pipeline construction works; marine services (submarine); maintenance services (valve and blasting painting); and supply of technical resources.

Headquartered in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, DTEC has project locations across Asia and other parts of the world, with presence in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, Johor Bahru, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, the Caspian region, Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago.

The group operates under the guidance of several core values: TO MAINTAIN excellent health, safety and environment (HSE) standard requirement practice.

TO PROVIDE a high quality of work.

TO CREATE good teamwork and production.

TO EMBRACE challenge.

TO PROVIDE customer satisfaction.

TO ENCOURAGE risk assessment and management inputs.

TO STRIVE for continuous improvement.

44 | Asia Outlook issue 43

including the EPCC of PRR Revamp and Rejuvenation of GPP1&2 in Kertih, Terengganu, and EPCC of Redline I & II Ammonia project in the same region.

He was also involved in the main construction package of the PML Mega® Methanol Plant in Labuan, and the EPCC for tankage works at Petronas’s onshore gas terminal in Turkmenistan.

Other notable developments on Damodaran’s track record include the main construction package for plant revamp and rejuvenation for Asian Bintulu Fertilizer (ABF) Malaysia, and the EPCC of Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal SOGT project.

During this time Damodaran gained a tremendous amount of project experience. On numerous occasions he dealt with PETRONAS, Malaysia’s formidable national oil company – work which covered much of the country’s major oil and gas locations as well as a development in Turkmenistan.

However, it was while he was working in Borneo that the entrepreneur found the inspiration for setting up this current venture.

“I was with Sapura Kencana Petroleum Berhad on the main construction package for an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) contract for PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd’s Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal project, and learned a great deal about the

Total solution and service provider for: oil and gas, petrochemical, power industries, heavy industries, Engineering & Construction Tel No: +607 351 6876 / +607 364 3491 Email: dtec@dtecpetroleum.com Johor Bahru Office: No 31-04, Block C, Kompleks Austin Perdana (V Square Business Centre), Jalan Austin Perdana 2, Mount Austin, 81110, Johor Bahru, Johor.

DTEC PETROLEUM GROUP potential and prospect for the oil and gas sector in Borneo,” he says.

“Together with my fellow co-founders, we set up DTEC Engineering and Construction Sdn Bhd in Sabah, Malaysia.

“Thereafter we were involved in most of the oil and gas projects in Labuan and Sabah such as the Kimanis Power Plant, Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal, Sabah Lateral Gas Pipeline Project, Sabah Ammonia and Urea Plant, and the Dalak Pipeline development, as well as a submarine maintenance project for the Malaysian Navy.”

Today, DTEC Petroleum is present in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, Johor Bahru, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, the Caspian region mainly in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago.

Its headquarters in Johor Bahru,

46 | Asia Outlook issue 43

in the south of Malaysia just north of Singapore, is staffed by 25 permanent employees, with a further 11 deployed on-site and another 800 contracted staff working on such projects at home and overseas.

The company’s vision? To be recognised as a worldwide, complete systems and solutions provider to petrochemical, oil and gas, power plant construction, maintenance and hook up commissioning and marine works sectors.

“DTEC aims to assist global customers all the way from the design stage and product and customer support up to providing global service networks,” explains Damodaran. “Whatever, whenever and wherever your project is, we strive to provide you the energy to make it happen and be the service provider of choice to clients both in Malaysia and all around the world.”

PROOF IN THE PROJECTS A substantial roster of successfully completed projects provides evidence of DTEC’s credentials.

Its portfolio includes dozens of finished works across onshore, offshore and marine categories for a host of clients, including Samsung Engineering, Boustead – DNCS, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Petrofac, among many others.

In Trinidad and Tobago, the group is busy assisting key client Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on the country’s landmark methanol plant.

“We started working on this project in April 2019 and since then it has become a key project for the company,” explains Damodaran. “We are heavily involved in sourcing people for local supervisory positions, supplying expat engineers from Malaysia and also procuring local manpower in Trinidad to cater to the project’s main construction package for piping works, blasting painting works, mechanical works and pre-commissioning and commissioning works.”

The development is a joint venture between three Mitsubishi firms (Mitsubishi Corp and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical alongside Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), Trinidad’s state-run utility organisation and locally based private enterprise Massy Holdings.

Valued at around $1 billion, the plant is expected to produce around a million tonnes of methanol a year and will also have capacity to process 20,000 tonnes of dimethyl ether annually.

It will also be of strategic importance to Trinidad and Tobago, the country’s petroleum industry having suffered from longstanding gas supply problems. The new site, as well as being located 45 kilometres south of the industry’s current epicentre, will also open up possibilities to export more methanol to the US on duty-free terms.

Away from Trinidad, Damodaran also highlights a number of other significant DTEC Petroleum projects

OIL & GAS

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 47

DTEC PETROLEUM GROUP covering a diverse range of specialisms, including submarine maintenance works and the planning of a ship repair facility in the town of Lumut, on Malaysia’s west coast.

“We are currently engaged in a biotechnology project, also in Lumut, and I think this project will be a steppingstone for us to be involved more in research and development programmes in the oil and gas industry,” the MD adds. “We hope that this is one of our added value projects that will set us apart from the other players in our industries.

“Besides this, we are also planning to expand our operations to multiple locations overseas and currently have tendered a few projects.”

SAFEGUARDING STANDARDS

“Whatever, whenever and wherever your project is, we strive to provide you the energy to make it happen and be the service provider of choice to clients both in Malaysia and all around the world” 48 | Asia Outlook issue 43

As well as growing its pipeline of activity, DTEC is also committed to continue investing in its employees.

“We believe that training is important for the growth of our employees as well as bringing growth to the company,” Damodaran continues.

“Every year, our HR department is responsible for planning all training programmes for our staff and making sure that the selection of courses is relevant to the industry and job scope of the employee, in order for them to upgrade their skillsets.”

This people-first attitude is further reflected in the company’s HSE policy, based on the firm belief that the wellbeing of employees and people affected by its work should be a major priority.

Equipping employees with leading-edge technology is also a priority,

OIL & GAS

MALAYSIA’S O&G OPPORTUNITY Following the 2014 drop in oil prices, the Malaysian oil and gas sector has recovered well and emerged with stronger foundations.

PETRONAS, the country’s national oil company, registered earnings of $13.4 billion for 2018, more than what it generated in both 2015 and 2016 combined.

To boost its export activity, Malaysia is looking to increase its refining capacity, the likes of the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC) in Johor and Sipitang Oil & Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP) in Sabah being established to cater to this growth.

However, in order to make the most of the opportunities ahead, companies, including DTEC Petroleum, will need to carefully balance the need to manage costs and innovate to unlock value.

This is especially relevant given challenges such as the global economic slowdown, geopolitical uncertainty and prolonged trade tensions remain.

be it on the frontline of executing project work or back office functions where security and seamless communication between departments and customers is crucial in delivering a reliable service.

“In my opinion, the implementation of technology is very important in order for us to compete with our fellow industry partners and, even more importantly, take us to the next level in making sure that our operations are smoothly delivered with minimal management errors,” Damodaran says.

“With that being said, we have implemented an e-office system to make sure that our internal operations are run efficiently, from submission of documents to the approval process. We also have an integrated server for documents sharing to make sure that our colleagues in Malaysia and overseas receive easy access to information.”

Investments such as this will serve DTEC well as it looks to a bright 2020, the Managing Director pointing out three major ambitions.

“I really want us to push ourselves to be a company of choice for the services we provide. Our aim, always, is to serve our clients better in terms of our expertise and also the resources we can utilise” First is to be the best in the business when it comes to providing a complete engineering and construction solution for clients, with the remaining aims revolving around employee welfare and earning loyalty and trust with dealers and customers.

Looking ahead confidently, Damodaran concludes: “I really want us to push ourselves to be a company of choice for the services we provide.

Our aim, always, is to serve our clients better in terms of our expertise and also the resources we can utilise.”

DTEC PETROLEUM GROUP Tel: +607 351 6876 / +607 364 3491 dtec@dtecpetroleum.com www.dtecpetroleum.com

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 49

BELAIT SHIPPING

Helping Brunei

B

Blossom

runei is an intriguing country.

Situated on the island of Borneo, the quiet Darussalam (Arabic for ‘abode of peace’) is characterised by lush, misty rainforests, outlandish flora and fauna and eclectic Islamic architecture depicting the history of a once prosperous naval empire.

This is not all modern-day Brunei is known for, however. Despite being 50 | Asia Outlook issue 43

From philanthropy and charitable efforts to employee and enterprise empowerment, the local entrepreneurial success story that is Belait Shipping is helping to build a better future for the Darussalam Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: David Knott

home to roughly just 430,000 people – its populous being the second smallest of all 51 Asian nations – the country somewhat surprisingly lays claim to the largest oilfields in Southeast Asia.

As a result, Brunei has become a small yet wealthy country with an economy largely built upon the efforts of entrepreneurial entities, each capitalising on the opportunities made

OIL & GAS

available by the production of approximately 180,000 barrels of oil per day, 365 days a year.

Indeed, one such organisation prospering from these tailwinds, and doing so in a sustainable manner, is Belait Shipping (BSC).

The first locally owned marine offshore company operating in the oil and gas industry of the Darussalam, it

is an established contractor, working closely with the likes of Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), Brunei Methanol Company, Total, Petronas, Chevron and ExxonMobil.

“BSC was initially brought to my attention in 2003,” explains Haji Awang bin Haji Ali, the firm’s Executive Chairman, sharing his story. “At that time the enterprise was just a small

ferry and crew boat operator, but I saw the potential to grow something bigger against the backdrop of the country’s prosperous oil and gas market.

“I bought and took over the business in 2005, and the team and myself decided to diversify our fleet and bring in some larger workboats, owed to the fact that very little to no local workboat operators were present in Brunei.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 51

BELAIT SHIPPING “By 2007 we’d built our first major vessel, and in the decade or so since we’ve ramped this up, expanding our fleet while providing critical services to some of the region’s major O&G entities.”

RECOGNISING A RESPONSIBILITY A true entrepreneurial success story sparked by Haji Awang himself, BSC retains a reputation even today as a first mover in Brunei’s offshore marine services market.

With that has come a degree of responsibility. Other organisations have subsequently followed in the company’s footsteps, looking at it as something of a role model as they have similarly attempted to develop and provide bespoke offerings to the local oil and gas sector.

“We really value our position as a leading local company and want to play a key role in the country’s progress,” Haji Awang affirms. “One way

Blessing ceremony and safety coaching by BSC Executive Chairman onboard Belait CSS1 for marine crews and business partners

52 | Asia Outlook issue 43

in which we do this is by assisting new businesses in a mentoring capacity, promoting and supporting them in order to hopefully enable their longterm success.”

A local diving company has been the recent beneficiary of these practices. Last year, BSC supported it in gaining the necessary accreditations from relevant professional industry bodies required to develop its value proposition, today offering the organisation some of its first major professional contracts.

This is not the only way in which the company seeks to empower local people, however. Indeed, speaking with the Chairman further, it quickly becomes apparent that this ethos is delivered through a variety of mediums.

“Take our workforce, for example,” he reveals.

“We often employ foreign industry experts and pair them up with Bruneian nationals to impart their knowhow, educating and growing our

local employees and assisting their professional and personal competency development as they too strive to become leaders in their field.

“I’m pleased to say that this has come to fruition. Today, many of our executive positions are filled by Bruneians – our vessel superintendents, marine operations managers, senior operations managers, technical experts. We even recently took on a new graduate with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and are hoping that he will be with us for the long term.

“We recognise that employment can be limited in a country as small as this. For that reason, we like to play our part in ensuring that the people who live here have the best opportunities available to develop their professional competencies.”

AT THE HEART OF PROGRESS Beyond BSC’s mentoring strategies that are applied to the benefit of

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Apprecation award from client

Shore support staff

Client meeting

DISCOVER MORE

Bruneian businesses and workers alike, its overall contributions to local socioeconomic progress are evidenced in other ways.

Internally, the company readily supports its employees during periods of grief, crucially removing financial burdens and allowing them to focus on spending much needed time with family and friends following the loss of loved ones.

Meanwhile, it also backs a prominent Bruneian charity that assists those effected by autism.

“The founder of SMARTER (Society for Management of Autism Related issues in Training, Education and Resources) was a personal friend of mine,” Haji Awang expresses.

“Unfortunately, he passed away, but as a promise and tribute to him we’ve committed ourselves to continuing the great work of the charity by upholding a number of its initiatives.”

This plethora of social efforts aside, the organisation is likewise Asia Outlook issue 43 | 53

BELAIT SHIPPING

HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SUCCESS OF BELAIT SHIPPING? HAJI AWANG: “Supplier and partner relationships are critically important to us. BSP are our bread and butter as the major oil and gas operator here, for example.

“We’ve recently been aggressively seeking out more international opportunities, looking at the Malaysian and Middle Eastern markets in particular.

But of course, Brunei is our base, and relationships with the likes of BSP as well as crucial local partners such as key parts suppliers and maintenance service operators here will continue to be pivotal to our success.”

becoming increasingly environmentally conscious.

Brunei is a crucial influencer in the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative – a unique government-led and NGOsupported programme to conserve biodiversity on the island, initiated by Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia in 2007.

Despite being a private entity, BSC has likewise embraced the goals of HoB, working closely with other local businesses to plant thousands of new trees year after year. And this emphasis on offsetting its carbon footprint continues to become an increasingly major focus.

Haji Awang explains: “In line with our ongoing sustainable environment 54 | Asia Outlook issue 43

initiatives, we recently were selected by the Shell Global team and BSP to be the pioneer of their hybridisation project in Asia. This collaborative project is to complete a retrofit of hybrid power for one of our vessels – a technology that Shell has previously used to enhance its drilling rigs.

“It’s an exciting endeavour. Not only will it make our vessel the first Shell vessel in the region to use hybrid and help us push towards stronger emissions control, it will also reduce unpredictability in our operations, build resilience in our equipment and bolster safety.

“When I was briefed about the opportunity, I jumped at it. It’s an initiative that epitomises what we’re all

about and gives us the chance to show that local companies here can match the capabilities of international firms.”

AN EYE TO THE FUTURE Talk of new opportunities quickly turns attention to the future, a topic that is met with mixed feelings.

Oil prices remained relatively depressed during 2019, a trend that has continued in the early part of 2020 with per-barrel valuations fluctuating between $50 and $60. Compare this with the four-year period 2010-2014, where prices were often found well above $100, and it’s easy to see the current challenges facing the global oil and gas sector.

“Low prices have impacted us quite significantly,” Haji Awang affirms. “As they went south, so did our revenues, and like all other oil and gas contractors and vessel owners, we were not spared.

“Some of our contracts were terminated prematurely, and rates were slashed, but despite the financial

OIL & GAS

Management vessel visit in Saudi Arabia

Belait CSS1 management team

CSS 1 site visit

Inside a technical meeting with a client

BA cleaning visit, shore staff difficulties that we faced we didn’t downsize. We didn’t lay off employees and tried our best to stay afloat. We are grateful that we have received continuous support from various parties, especially BSP and Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD), during these troubled times.

“By support, we don’t just mean

financial aid. BSP, for instance, has provided various learning and coaching opportunities for us to continuously grow and become a more competent vessel operator – technically, operationally and most importantly from a safety perspective. While budgets are tight, we still continue sending our staff for training so that their

development as seafarers are not impacted and remain on track.”

In the eyes of the Chairman, however, 2020 brings with it a renewed sense of optimism, not least because of an upturn in industry activities and the continuation of a major turnaround programme that’s so far been three years in the making.

He concludes, mapping out these overriding thoughts with a degree of positivity: “We have looked into the market regionally, and things seem to be looking up. Demand for marine services has gone up, so we intend to spend the coming months getting our vessels employed, which should bring about more revenue and sustainability to the company.

“We do currently have some assets that are idle, but, looking on the bright side, this means we’ll be ready and able to deploy our services at short notice to meet the needs of any potential clients.

“Likewise, our turnaround programme, led by our COO Ikmal Azri Abdul Rahman and supported by our Administrative Director Haji Ariffin Dato Paduka Haji Sabtu, Chief of Human Capital Amirol Basri, Chief Financial Officer Rosdin and myself as the programme champion, is bringing all departments and divisions up to a higher standard of performance.

“Through resilience in continuing this initiative, we’ve been able to brave the hard times by achieving cost optimisation and established a top down approach when it comes to safety.

“As a result, I’m proud to say that we are now better off overall in terms of both governance and performance and we are very much committed to achieving continuous improvement.”

BELAIT SHIPPING Tel: +673 – 2671053/58 info@bscbn.com www.bscbn.com

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 55

GAS & OIL PAKISTAN LTD.

Petroleum made

PERSONAL GO is embodying Pakistan’s innovative spirit, advancing and expanding its O&G offering at rapid pace in order to better serve its beloved, growing network of local customers Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

56 | Asia Outlook issue 43

OIL & GAS

P

akistan is one of the youngest countries in the world in terms of its population.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, roughly two in every three Pakistanis are below the age of 30 – a youth bulge that provides solid grounding for a wave of innovation and creativity to strike at the very heart of the nation.

Indeed, this growing tide has already begun to encroach upon Pakistan’s economic shores. Between 2012 and 2019, a pool of funding sources and investors grew from zero to 20, for

example, while the number of startup incubators expanded from two to 24.

It is not just SMEs that are thriving in this environment, however. Likewise, some of Pakistan’s most revered, established organisations are making great strides by embracing and embodying this agile climate.

“Pakistan’s oil and gas industry is an exciting place to be right now,” explains Khalid Riaz, Chairman and CEO of Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd. (GO) – a company that manages over 500 retail outlets, 400 tank trucks and considerable storage infrastructure across the

country.

“Our millennial population and growing economy provide major grounds for O&G-related optimism.

We ourselves have made great progress in the past year, upping our overall market share from five percent to eight percent.

“We are a company always on the move. It’s in our DNA.” It’s been little over 12 months since we last spoke with Riaz – a period that has seen GO’s remarkable rise continue since its inception in 2015.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 57

GAS & OIL PAKISTAN LTD.

GO – THE BASICS GAS & OIL PAKISTAN LTD. was launched in 2015 by seasoned oil and gas sector entrepreneurs with over 40 years’ experience in the downstream petroleum business.

In the half decade since, the firm has become a renowned player in local oil marketing, storage, transportation and supply, assisted by a core team of experienced personnel which operate over 500 retail outlets, 400 tank trucks and considerable storage infrastructure across Pakistan.

VISION: The customer is the first and preferred choice.

MISSION: To contribute to making Pakistan a better place by creating and maintaining an efficient, safe and sustainable environment while ensuring that quality oil products are supplied to customers across the country.

CORE VALUES: Customer Centric, Integrity and Ethics, Teamwork, Quality, Initiative and Commitment, Social Responsibility and Innovative.

58 | Asia Outlook issue 43

GO has four depots and one terminal, which will further increase to nine depots and four terminals by the end of year, 2020. Two of the depots are in the province of Punjab, out of which one is at Sahiwal and the other is at Kotla Jam in district Bhakkar. The third depot is at Daulatpur in the province of Sindh and the fourth is at Sarai Naurang in the province of KPK. GO has commissioned a state-of-the-art terminal at Mahmoodkot in the vicinity of PARCO MidCountry Refinery, which is the largest oil storage facility of any OMC in that region. This is the only terminal having dedicated receipt lines for receiving petrol and diesel at the same time from PARCO / PAPCO MCR storage tanks.

Since February 2019, the organisation has developed almost 100 additional retail outlets, drastically expanding its infrastructure and footprint across many of Pakistan’s key provinces and cities, and engaged in a plethora of broader customer engagement initiatives.

“We’ve been focused on launching everything from our digital consumer communications platforms to social platforms and prepaid cash cards to improved customer service programmes, as more of our retail outlets expand nationwide,” the Chief Exec affirms, also pointing to new SAP enterprise resource planning software

that is set to be rolled out imminently.

With such an array of undertakings being pursued aggressively and concurrently, it’s been a particularly busy, challenging period for the group to say the least. Yet Riaz is able to reveal that each of these key investments paid off, owed to the firm’s emphasis on what it describes as the three Ps. “People, productivity and process.

These focus areas drive through our projects and initiatives,” he affirms.

“Customer centricity is our core value.

We want to win the hearts of our consumers, not just their wallets.

“For me personally, this is the key differentiator of GO.”

OIL & GAS

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on its rapid growth & wish the Company every success in years to come.

Over 755 branches and sub-branches in 290 cities in Pakistan including offshore branches in Bahrain, Malaysia, Seychelles and Karachi Export Processing Zone.

The Bank also has Representative Offices in Dubai (UAE), Istanbul (Turkey), Beijing (China) and Nairobi (Kenya).

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GO’s tanker fleet now serves around 500 filling stations

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 59

GAS & OIL PAKISTAN LTD.

Community engagement is a key part of GO’s brand identity

BUILDING A FUTURE FOR ALL It is not the only unique characteristic of the enterprise, however.

The importance that GO places on people likewise translates for its own employees that are empowered at every opportunity, recognised as crucial to maintaining the upward growth curve that the firm continues to experience.

“People are core to our growth, and our employment success depends on having the right training plans which are better and smarter than the traditional industry standard,” Riaz reveals.

“It’s about more than just employing more teams and upping the numbers.

2019 was a challenging year, but talent 60 | Asia Outlook issue 43

“PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS CONTINUE TO BE CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS. FROM EQUITY PARTNERS TO HOSPITALITY PARTNERS, THESE ORGANISATIONS ALWAYS SUPPORT OUR MODEL. IT’S A KEY STRENGTH OF OUR BUSINESS” – KHALID RIAZ, CHAIRMAN AND CEO development is undoubtedly going to be a critical part of our strategy for 2020.”

Likewise, the organisation ensures it gives back to the communities in which it operates through an expansive focus on CSR. To date, GO has planted 100,000

trees, delivered new schools, donated ambulances, installed water filtration plants and a state-of-the-art dialysis centre, and assisted in the development of crucial water conservation and energy generation capacity, as well as continually reaching out into needy communities with mobile food

OIL & GAS

A GO Quality Testing Unit carrying out checks at a filling station

Part of GO’s CSR strategy is to donate ambulances to the local community banks that provide free meals to more than 400 people daily.

“Social responsibility is at the heart of our business model,” Riaz comments.

“Whether that’s charitable actions or environmentally sustainable initiatives, CSR will always be a regular part of our routine.”

The mention of sustainability swiftly turns talk from the here and now to the what’s next.

12 months ago, numerous aims including boosting storage capacity, expanding the company retail network and bringing in new staff were outlined – goals that were not only met but exceeded at every level during the course of the last year.

Looking ahead to 2020, it seems that the latest set of ambitions are similarly bold, GO forecasting an equally prosperous period.

“By the year’s end we expect to have 10 percent market share, 200 more retail outlets, three new depots, and a successfully integrated ERP system, all backed by empowered leaders and teams and much happier consumers and stakeholders,” Riaz reveals, citing this buoyant outlook.

“We are really thankful to the almighty Allah for our success. We’ve had a great run that’s been a marvel on its own and a great ride so far – we’re a young organisation and a leading brand in the oil and gas industry that is

recognised for its quality products and superb service.

“Long term, we see GO becoming one of the top three players in the next one to three years. But for now, I look forward to a great 2020, and beginning to cement our leadership position by winning the hearts of the consumers that we love.”

GAS & OIL PAKISTAN Tel: +92 42 111 46 46 46 corporate.communications@gno.com.pk

www.gno.com.pk

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 61

CHIP MONG INSEE CEMENT CORPORATION

A Cambodian

CHAMPION

62 | Asia Outlook issue 43

CONSTRUCTION

CMIC brings a can-do attitude to Cambodian cement by assisting the country with quality products, community care and a local emphasis.

Nicolas George, CEO, explains the motive behind this mandate Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Josh Mann

F

our decades ago, any mention of Cambodia would be met with a solemn response.

1980 laid bare the aftermath of the horrific Khmer Rouge regime that had ruthlessly attempted to rewind the clock and turn the country into an agrarian society. In brief, it had been left in a state of disrepair, brutally claiming the lives of two million local people.

There is no question that scars from this period remain – the horror of those five years has been well documented as one of the greatest atrocities of the 20th century. Yet, gradually and admirably, the country has defied the odds rising from the ashes to become a laudable emblem of Southeast Asian prosperity.

In the past 40 years, Cambodia’s GDP skyrocketed from $716 million to $22 billion. And the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has forecast that this is just the beginning, predicting that similarly monumental strides will continue throughout the next decade and propel the country to upper middle-income status by 2030.

“Cambodia is thriving,” states Nicolas George, CEO of Chip Mong INSEE Cement Corporation (CMIC) – a company both capitalising on these economic tailwinds and epitomising the rapid national growth trajectory.

“The country is going through an unprecedented period of development that’s leading to a multitude of opportunities and attracting investors across various sectors. This creates a particularly dynamic environment with healthy competition, where any business looking to become a leader has to make a difference.”

CMIC itself has become a critical part of the construction ecosystem, viewed as being central to achieving these ambitious yet realistic aspirations.

Born from a joint venture between local company Chip Mong Group and Asia Outlook issue 43 | 63

CHIP MONG INSEE CEMENT CORPORATION Thai cement producer INSEE, the firm has leveraged the expertise of these two highly successful companies to become a market leader in Cambodia’s building materials industry.

“The current climate is ideal for our young company and team, providing them with plenty of opportunity to plant their footprint on Cambodia’s construction industry, challenge convention and let their imagination run wild,” George affirms.

PUTTING LOCAL PEOPLE FIRST As the CEO’s comments suggest, workforce empowerment forms a core part of CMIC’s culture.

The company recognises its role as not just an employer but equally an educator, its structure built specifically to provide development opportunities

across the board, benefitting everyone from its shop floor workers right through to the organisation’s leading executives.

“We strongly believe in giving our employees a sense of recognition and a purpose,” George states.

“Fundamentally, it is crucial for local industry sustainability.

“We know that a cement business cannot sustain without proper skills being available locally. It does not make sense to operate a large industrial facility that largely employs foreign workers. Therefore, we have always made the development of the local workforce a top priority and established the necessary structures and processes to support that vision.”

The company’s apprenticeship programme stands as a prime example of this ethos in practice.

CMIC – A BRIEF HISTORY

WASOL Group WASOL JSC is a leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) enterprise, delivering premium services and solutions for industrial and municipal water and wastewater treatment in Vietnam.

With three core brands – WASOL, Waschem and Rosol – comprising its ever-growing portfolio, the company is able to partake in a range of key market activities: • Design and build water and wastewater treatment plants Recommends appropriate technologies and optimal design for water treatment plants, and offers the right solutions using the best available technologies for wastewater treatment plants.

• Design and build cooling water system and flue gas treatment Leverages KleanSorb technology to handle most arising stringent sources, including coal-fired furnace, rice husk furnace and wood furnace.

On September 16, 2015, Chip Mong INSEE Cement Corporation was established by a joint venture to the value of $262 million.

• Trade and supply chemicals and equipment for water and other industries

60 percent of this was injected by Chip Mong Group – one of Cambodia’s largest corporations with over 30 years’ experience in the construction sector.

An authorised distributor for Hydrex Water Treatment Chemicals of Veolia Water.

The other 40 percent was provided by Thai Siam City Cement Corporation (INSEE) – an international organisation in Thailand with over 50 years’ experience, and cement factories spanning Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

“What makes us unique is that our local shareholder is the major one and that both shareholders have more than 30 years’ experience in building materials,” states George. “This shareholding provides excellent foundations to create a company with strong expertise which is also close to the local consumer.”

Today, CMIC produces advanced quality cements for both the retail and industrial market segments, all manufactured from well selected local raw materials and in line with world class quality control and assurance standards.

• Produce and supply residential water treatment systems With the most advanced water treatment and membrane technologies, different product configurations are developed to the serve various needs of valued clients – apartments, restaurants, villas and resorts, offices, schools, supermarkets, hospitals, laboratories, factories.

• Supply Purian DI Water Purian is pure water, also known as demineralised, deionised, DI water. It is manufactured with the most advanced technology today, and water quality is measured and controlled strictly according to WIM standards.

VISION: To be the most admired and trusted solution provider in the Cambodian cement industry, and beyond.

MISSION: To enrich the lives of customers and stakeholders through people, products and services by employing best practices at all times. www.wasol-vn.com

64 | Asia Outlook issue 43

WASOL Group is one of the top water and waste water one-stop solution providers with well-established reliability and strong client reference in South-East Asia. WASOL offers state-of-the-art technologies as an “Engineering, Procurement and Construction” (EPC) contractor for both industry and municipal turnkey projects in water and waste water treatment plants, cooling, chiller and boiler systems, and process reclaim applications. The company is also the manufacturer/distributor of ROSOL purified water drinking machines for household use, ultrapure water purifier for laboratories and the WASCHEM chemicals for various water and waste treatment demands.

The Group is operated by a group of MIB (Master of International Business) and engineers with comprehensive knowledge of water and waste water treatment and vast experience working in pan Asia Pacific markets including Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. With best in house technologies available, the challenge to achieve a green and smart choice between capital investment and operating cost can be reached. Typical technologies include: •

Water treatment: Advanced clarifier Compasedi, DMF/MMF/GAC, UF/pUF, NF/RO/sRO/HERO, CAT/AN/MB, EDR/EDI.

•

Waste water treatment: Advanced flotation OpFlo, Advanced clarifier Opsedi, Aerobic treatment ASR/MBBR, Anaerobic treatment UASB, Advanced Oxidization USO3, membrane technologies for waste water reclaim.

“WASOL is not only a place to work but also a second family for all of our employees to be proud of. It’s a place where we come together to share and enjoy the same beliefs about good things in life, to work dedicatedly and to make a better life for everyone.”

Mr. Quy Nguyen (Henry) CEO of WASOL Group

Cooling System

Differentiated values from WASOL Group: •

Expert engineering capability

•

Strong project execution and management system

•

Professional and zealous services

Waste Water Treatment Plant.

In long run pursuing off green solutions and sustainable development, WASOL Group is dedicated to bring high quality, advanced technologies and environment friendly products and services to valued clients all over the region.

WASOL Group Address: 1st Floor, Rubyland Tower, 04 Le Quat Street, Tan Thoi Hoa Ward, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Phone: (+84) 28 396 108 84

Website: www.wasol-vn.com Email: info@wasol-vn.com

Ultrapure Water (UPW) Treatment Plant.

CHIP MONG INSEE CEMENT CORPORATION Here, CMIC selects 12 students from nearby communities every year, committing itself to train them as fully qualified technicians through a programme developed in partnership with the National Polytechnic institute of Cambodia.

“These students spend half their time in the classroom and the other half working in the field alongside our employees,” George reveals. “Upon completion of the programme, they receive a legitimately recognised formal diploma that can allow them to continue their studies to the next level if they so desire.”

Similar programmes are also offered to junior engineers, the organisation having hired a number of graduates as permanent in employees in 2019. And for existing employees, opportunities are likewise aplenty, CMIC ensuring channels for dialogue that staff members can use to request customised training in specific areas of personal interest are maintained.

“These are all ways in which we’re

able to recognise and empower the great contributions of our team alongside our competitive salary offering and bonus scheme,” George adds.

STRIVING TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY The abundance of such initiatives is not to say that the company struggles with talent retention, however.

CMIC is a revered brand in Cambodia. And for good reason – its industry leading, state-of-the-art Touk Meas Plant has helped to characterise the company’s innovative presence alongside the legacies of its founding firms.

“The Touk Meas plant was designed with the most efficient technology available on the market. It has allowed us to pioneer the local cement industry by introducing application-based products that are more suitable for end users,” the Chief Exec comments.

“As an example, we recently began offering Camel Strong – a cement product featuring a better finish

FLSmidth As the market-leading supplier of engineering, equipment, and service solutions to customers in the global cement industry, FLSmidth is proud to contribute to Cambodia’s sustainable development by partnering with Chip Mong Insee Cement Corporation.

The partnership comprises of FLSmidth’s premium Pfister® DRW Rotor Weighfeeder, Pfister® FRW/ SRW Rotor Weighfeeder, GIROMAT™ EVO V8 Rotary Packer, POLIMAT® EVO 25 Palletizer, and Type-E Electrostatic Precipitators.

FLSmidth supports clients through our local offices in nine different locations across Asia.

For more information, please contact us at cement_Asia@FLSmidth.com.

Nicolas George, CEO

66 | Asia Outlook issue 43

www.flsmidth.com

CONSTRUCTION

C06 Factory of Ministry of National Defence Cambodia

C06 Factory of Ministry of National Defence Cambodia is a legal civil engineering explosive manufacturer, which is approved by Prime Minister Husen, Council For The Development of Cambodia and Ministry Of National Defence Cambodia, It was established by China Largesized enterprise with the Ministry of National Defence of Cambodia. C06 is specialised in supplying all kinds

of explosives, (Porous Prilled Ammonium Nitrate, TAN Emulsion Explosive, Modifying AN-FO Explosive, Seismic Explosive), and accessories in domestic and overseas of Cambodia and can provide a full range of blasting services. The annual production capacity could reach 30,000 MTS and C06 will become the industrial leader in Cambodian explosive Market.

ADDRESS No.4, St.552, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. FACTORY SITE National Road No.4, Kilometer 62.5, Cambodia TEL (855) 023-885660 EMAIL wellprospercambodia@hotmail.com

TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE TOMORROW in the cement industry

For more than 137 years, we have challenged conventions and explored opportunities. We share our customers’ ambition, help them see the world from different angles, and bring better, more sustainable solutions with lowest possible environmental impact to light.

For more information visit www.flsmidth.com

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 67

CHIP MONG INSEE CEMENT CORPORATION and improved workability that we developed six months ago following thorough market research to ensure our customers’ insights were properly considered and addressed.”

Located some 125 kilometres south west of Phnom Penh in the country’s Kampot Province, the facility spans 110 hectares and produces up to two million tonnes of cement per annum.

Yet it is not just its manufacturing might that is impressive. Likewise, the facility has been built and continues to be upgraded with a clear roadmap for improved environmental sustainability in mind, as is verified by its brandnew Ecocycle division launched in December 2019.

“Simply put, the objective of this new entity is to provide a fully integrated solution for the processing of industrial waste in Cambodia. It is also a key step in our overall CO2 reduction roadmap,” George reveals.

“The response from the market has been amazing. We already have many

partners from which we collect waste, and we want to grow this activity rapidly, namely with a diversification in terms of the waste we can process as well as increasing our scope of service.

“Combined with the installation of a solar farm on the roof of our building and our water reservoir, we can proudly say that around 33 percent of our power is generated internally from renewable sources, solar and waste heat.”

RECOGNISING A WIDER RESPONSIBILITY CMIC’s responsible attitudes do not end here, however.

Aside from its emphasis on employee empowerment and environmental sustainability, the company partakes in a wider range of CSR initiatives overseen by a dedicated team that manages all stakeholder engagement activities.

“We have so many drives that it would take too long to go through them all,” the CEO muses.

LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS APLENTY How important are partner and supplier relationships to the success of your business?

Nicolas George: “On average we have more than 10,000 tonnes of material going in and out of our plant every day. In addition to that, we have a large volume of internal material movements, including a significant quantity of consumables, spare parts... I could go on.

“This represents a significant number of trucks, wagons, as well as suppliers that need to be coordinated. In the Cambodian context, where a few years back the cement industry was still very small, supply chains had to be developed from scratch. And CMIC spent a considerable amount of time working with this local supply base whenever possible, providing an opportunity to work with us and develop their businesses.

“As of today, except for very technical and specific items, most of our supply chain is handled with local partners. We would not have been able to ramp up our activities so quickly without the great support of our partners, and our objective for the coming years is to continue the journey towards a lower reliance on imports, developing local alternatives whenever it is feasible.”

68 | Asia Outlook issue 43

“However, I can share some highlights: we run regular road safety campaigns in partnership with local authorities and NGOs, support local schools through the construction of latrines, finance science clubs, and have our apprenticeship programmes for select students.

“We also work to improve the livelihood of local communities with infrastructure development, irrigation systems, health campaigns, new income generation programmes, mason certification programmes, and finally activities to increase environmental protection awareness and cleaning events that go hand in hand with our new waste management activity.”

Two years in the making, this extensive philanthropic remit has become a reflection of CMIC’s ethos that the firm can be proud of.

Indeed, its commitments have been duly recognised, most recently having received the 2019 CSR Award of EuroCham in Cambodia.

CONSTRUCTION

CMIC in attendance at Cemtech, a leading industry event

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 69

CHIP MONG INSEE CEMENT CORPORATION

CONSTRUCTION

One of CMIC’s key goals for 2020 is to increase its involvement in community activities

“Chip Mong is not only well respected because of the quality of its various services and products,” George comments. “It is also known for the positive impact that it has on the lives of local people, and we’re proud to carry that same spirit as we bear this same name, culture and values.”

Indeed, these attitudes will not waver moving forward.

In the eyes of the CEO, 2020 will see a large reduction in the number of imports from neighbouring countries across Cambodia, with local capacity

having reached new heights during 2019, now able to fulfil local demand.

This will make CMIC’s local emphasis easier to maintain as it moves through the coming year. Yet such is not the only ambition of the company, George reiterating the firm’s aims in his coherent conclusion.

“We like to be simple and clear as we believe this is the best way to engage everyone across the company,” he begins.

“Therefore, our ambitions and priorities are very straight forward: we want to reinforce our leadership

“Chip Mong is not only well respected because of the quality of its various services and products.

It is also known for the positive impact that it has on the lives of local people” position in the cement business, we want to accelerate the development of our Ecocycle division to further reduce our environmental footprint, and we want to become the reference in term of people development.”

CHIP MONG INSEE CEMENT CORPORATION Tel: + 855 (0) 23 216 380 info@chipmonginsee.com www.chipmonginsee.com

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 71

MUN SHUNG & PARTNERS

72 | Asia Outlook issue 43

CONSTRUCTION

Putting People

FIRST Having arrived in Malaysia on a mission to prove a concept in 2011, Melvin Lim has enjoyed a remarkable growth story with Mun Shung & Partners, the architecture firm built on a passion to transform communities Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

Opportunities in this region, especially in Malaysia, are vast!

Having worked in the country for the last seven years, the expansion of both private and commercial activity I have seen has produced a huge amount of opportunity in the country.

“The growth rate and the maturity within the construction industry creates fantastic prospects for companies like ours, albeit a huge amount of competition at the same time. However, this is healthy and keeps you on your toes, forcing you to constantly seek better ways to improve products and services.

“Even in our building industry there is still much room to evolve into, not only as brick and mortar investment, but contents and user experience which is now more important than ever. And that, I would suggest, means a vastly vibrant future awaits.”

Melvin Lim is, rightly, a stout optimist when it comes to Malaysia’s construction scene.

A key contributor to an economy that is growing consistently at well over five percent a year, the sector’s advancement is reflective of the country’s journey towards becoming a high-income nation, a feat which is expected to be realised as early as 2024.

Melvin is Founder and Design Director of architecture firm Mun Shung & Partners, the Asian branch of UK-based Barton Willmore known as BWLim International until 2018.

Established in 2012 after he arrived back in his home country from London, even Melvin would admit that the company which stands today is unrecognisable from the daunting challenge he initially walked into – to prove Malaysia could work for Barton Willmore and create a failproof business plan inside six months.

“My team consisted of just me,” he quips, “an individual who had never worked in the country before with zero contacts and very limited funds.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 73

MUN SHUNG & PARTNERS “Instead of an expansion plan, as horrifying as it sounds, it did feel like I was setting up my own practice. Days turned into weeks and months felt like years. It was hard, hard work having to acclimatise to the business culture in the shortest possible timeframe, and to make ends meet with no local experience.”

Melvin’s leap of faith paid off in a

remarkable way.

Within eight months he had enquiries for 12 project feasibilities, and by the time a year had elapsed the venture had secured several contracts on developments worth more than 500 million Malaysian Ringgit ($123 million).

Fast-forward to today, and Mun Shung & Partners is operating from a second office in Melaka, the firm

AN INTRODUCTION TO MUN SHUNG & PARTNERS Set up in 2012 and headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Mun Shung & Partners was formed on the basis of a respect-based and people-first approach to design, its work centred around the aim to build a more sustainable society.

Its project portfolio is vast and covers a wide range of developments, spanning residential, commercial, mixed-use, interior design and masterplans.

The company provides: • A full scope of architectural services, from design feasibility to the completion of the building, including production of full working construction drawings and information • Masterplanning design services • Marketing and branding services, inclusive of all collaterals such as brochures, sales leaflets and more • 3D computer generated sketch models, perspectives for design visual discussions • High quality animation fly-through for marketing use • 3D renders (CGI) for marketing use • Interior design services Its client base consists predominantly of private developers and private landowners, including public listed companies, the firm’s 15 employees working from offices in Kuala Lumpur and Melaka. Mun Shung & Partners is also able to draw on extra resources from the UK and China on a projectby-project basis.

The company is also the proud recipient of several awards, including: • Asia Pacific Property 2019 – Best Mixed-use Architecture Malaysia, Best Hotel Architecture Malaysia and Best Mixed-use Development Malaysia (for the Satori project) • LUX Life – Kuala Lumpur’s Most Outstanding Multidisciplinary Design Practice 2019

Asia Point Construction Welcome to the world of Asia Point!

We hope you would find answers to questions regarding the Company’s activities and services. Though this is not all-encompassing, the information provided will help you to familiarize yourself with its contents and keep it as a handy reference.

We believe that our primary responsibility is to our clients and all others who use our services in meeting their needs and paying meticulous attention towards the quality aspects. We constantly strive to reduce our cost in order to maintain reasonable prices yet producing premium outcome.

Communications between you and us have to be ongoing and lively as we strive for continuous improvements in everything we do by listening to you, rewards of which will benefit both you and us.

We started-off in 2009 as a small scale construction and renovation company.

After gaining more and more networks, we upgraded the company into a Sendirian Berhad entity. Since its inception and over the years, Asia Point grew and expanded both through growth within the company and in strategic partnership with suppliers that augmented Asia Point’s position in the construction industry.

The directors, Mr. Marco Yan and Mr Michael Lee, both built up the company and secured multi-million ringgit in development projects such as high rise buildings, logistics warehouse and many more.

Getting along with Mun Shung & Partners for the current Satori project had been a vivacious moment and looking forward for more projects with their resourceful team.

• Recognition at the SME 100 Awards 2018 asiapointconstruction@hotmail.com

74 | Asia Outlook issue 43

The

HALLMARK of

Quality

in building works

Welcome to the world of

Asia Point offering one stop solution for construction through a range of services including: » » » » »

Engineering Electrical Structure Interior Design Architecture

Contact us via: asiapointconstruction@hotmail.com

MUN SHUNG & PARTNERS engaged on a tremendous variety of projects, from residential and commercial to mixed-use and interior design work, both in Malaysia and the UK.

FOR THE GREATER GOOD The past seven years, by Melvin’s own admission, could have been foreseen in his earlier days.

“I almost fell into architecture, if I’m honest,” he recalls. “I grew up with a family of teachers and engineers, and I remember when asked during my early teens that I always wanted to be a doctor and save lives – I even pursued full science subjects for my A-levels.

“But my creative side got the best of me eventually, when I was offered a scholarship and a place in the Greenwich University to read architecture.”

Melvin’s desire to impact lives for

the better has never left him, a passion that was rekindled during his tenure with Barton Willmore in London.

“It was then I witnessed how design does matter and how it affects people,” he continues. “I realised the profession plays a vital role within the building industry, one that inevitably affects lifestyles and the way we live.

“I am not referring to the colour of your roof or where one would place their dining table, but the ability to be at the forefront of any development, and how we are able to make design decisions that enables a safe neighbourhood to be created.

“I find it most intriguing to see the full process from sketch paper proposals to the completion of the built environment unfold, and how these new streets and homes or offices are then occupied.”

PRODUCT SNAPSHOT

SABAIDEE CITY MASTERPLAN Promising to become an iconic landmark for Vientiane, capital city of Laos, Sabaidee City’s main feature will be a central tower resembling ‘Nop’, generally accepted as the form of greeting among Lao people where palms are placed together in a position of praying at chest level. The development will be centred around a park with several key destinations for tourists and local communities.

MORE: www.ms-partners.co/sabaidee-city

This people-centric passion and attitude filters through the whole of Mun Shung & Partners and what it stands for today. Community engagement is vital, Melvin bringing to Malaysia the lessons he learned in the UK, where communication with stakeholders is an essential part of the planning process.

The Founder and Design Director identifies the Embique Condotel development as proof of this approach in action.

A residential condotel precinct in Melaka comprising one- and two-bedroom suites, the building’s design is just the surface of what the client, HLT Land Sdn Bhd, wanted to create.

As well as developing a safe, modern and characterful neighbourhood for people to live in, HLT was determined to build a brand, a reason for knowing Embique that would reverberate beyond the residents occupying its range of apartments.

In response, Mun Shung & Partners created Bique Fest, Melaka’s largest curated weekend art bazaar.

Centred around an interactive experimental dome, it carried the tagline ‘Unique Moments, Unique Journeys, Unique Living’, designed to attract a large cross-section of people to the site.

“This is all about connecting the community through arts and culture and embracing Embique’s unique fusion of nature and design with Melaka’s creative and gastronomic scene,” Melvin says. “It was held over four weekends of site activation showcasing local artists, designers and entrepreneurs to the community.”

The results were beyond expectation. In the space of a month the Bique Fest brand built up a reach of more than half a million people with an engagement rate of over 55 percent with 25-54-year-olds in the southern region of Malaysia.

PROJECT PRIDE Embique aside, Melvin points to a number of other projects which 76 | Asia Outlook issue 43

CONSTRUCTION

‘A RESIDENTIAL CONDOTEL PRECINCT IN MELAKA COMPRISING ONE- AND TWOBEDROOM SUITES, THE BUILDING’S DESIGN IS JUST THE SURFACE OF WHAT THE CLIENT, HLT LAND SDN BHD, WANTED TO CREATE’

Embique Condotel

MUN SHUNG & PARTNERS

PRODUCT SNAPSHOT

MIHARJA Made of 700 residential units across 1.55 million square feet and 4.67 acres of land, the Miharja development is a landmark addition to the Kuala Lumpur skyline and seamlessly blends into its surroundings. It creates a point of difference, its own expression, yet it is a good neighbour to the surrounding buildings, responding to the urban fabric.

Other key features include a 50-metre infinity pool, multipurpose hall for events, indoor cinema and fitness facilities, and close proximity to schools and amenities. It is very much a development designed for growing families.

have proven to be landmarks for him personally, lessons from which he has brought to Malaysia and Mun Shung & Partners from his time at Barton Willmore’s London practice.

First is Poplar Business Park.

Situated in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, it proposes a redevelopment of the existing site to an urban village scheme with the inclusion of the village’s square at its heart. Other significant features include a new office complex, light warehousing facilities, more than 300 residential units and a hotel and restaurant.

“The square serves as one of our key features for this development,” says Melvin. “It is designed to be highly accessible and safe and to create a natural identity for the local community.

“Understandably, community involvement was vital when getting 78 | Asia Outlook issue 43

“THE SQUARE [POPLAR BUSINESS PARK] SERVES AS ONE OF OUR KEY FEATURES FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT, IT IS DESIGNED TO BE HIGHLY ACCESSIBLE AND SAFE AND TO CREATE A NATURAL IDENTITY FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY”

feedback and comments woven within the architecture of the development.

Key to gaining that planning permission for this project, we believe, was the additional community engagement introduced during the design process which, ultimately, formed part of our strategic development framework for the scheme.”

North of London, in seaside town Grimsby, Barton Willmore has been guiding the Freshney Green Estate Regeneration Programme for over five years with Stamford Homes, Shoreline Housing Association and local authorities.

Once again, consultation with local residents, especially younger generations, was vital in securing enthusiasm for the proposals, which are helping to transform an area once labelled as a blight on the area with a worrying crime rate.

“The plan for Freshney Green was to redevelop the area with new homes, however, that involves moving some of the residents,” explains Melvin.

“During the engagement, we found a huge amount of vandalism in the area, and one of our ideas to tackle the was to build a ‘graffiti house’ for the community. The interesting part of this was that the idea came from a six-year-old girl, who was taking part in the draw your home activities.

“Freshney Green was once seen as an eyesore to the neighbourhood, and it is now a fully-grown residential development with its own formed community and sustained house prices.”

These projects represent important learnings for Melvin, the Embique project demonstrating how he has been able to transfer the emphasis on community engagement seen in the likes of Poplar and Freshney Green to Mun Shung & Partners’ work in Malaysia.

A similarly momentous project for the company was Hatten Satori, another mixed-use scheme which paved the way for the firm to secure its first masterplan development under the same client.

CONSTRUCTION

Poplar Business Park

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 79

MUN SHUNG & PARTNERS ‘SATORI, MEANING ENLIGHTENMENT IN JAPANESE, COMBINES HEALTH, WELLNESS, BEAUTY AND LEISURE IN ONE DESTINATION’

Satori

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CONSTRUCTION Satori, meaning enlightenment in Japanese, combines health, wellness, beauty and leisure in one destination.

The main architectural features are the curvilinear towers which house a premium wellness hotel and serviced apartments, a mall and over 50 health and wellness themed facilities.

Its pedigree is no better demonstrated than by a series of awards, Satori scooping three prizes at the Asia Pacific Property 2019 event – Best Mixed-use Architecture Malaysia, Best Hotel Architecture Malaysia and Best Mixed-use Development Malaysia.

Though tremendously proud, Melvin is the first to admit that such accolades could not have been secured alone.

He highlights the indispensable role of partner companies, chiefly construction contractors which are responsible for bringing ideas to life.

“The tender process is a vital part of any project planning,” the Founder says. “Tender interviews and the contract documentation allow us to carry out all due diligence when selecting the right contractors for the job.

“Undoubtedly, finding the right contractor for the job is highly crucial.

Some of our partners have been working with me since my UK tenure back in 2005, and we work well together.

However, every job differs and may require different people to come on board.”

Such collaborations will be critical moving forwards. Melvin also revealed an exciting and highly valued masterplan development in Kuala Lumpur, and potentially a game-changer for both Mun Shung & Partners and the city. The scheme is currently in the final stages of feasibility and will be making headlines in the development sector.

STAYING ON-TREND Securing (and delivering) on future landmark projects will require the company to stay ahead of the curve and continue differentiating itself from what is a competitive design landscape.

PRODUCT SNAPSHOT

THE GREEN Set on a 4.38-acre plot of land near Kota Laksamana in Melaka, The Green comprises two towers of 40 and 24 storeys containing 516 serviced apartments, fronted by a 15-storey hotel block.

“Several key features make this unique,” Melvin comments, “including a centralised courtyard landscape for activities. Due to the hot climate, we designed a canopy roof over the courtyard space in the form of a ramp, therefore providing shade and shelter for kiosk and retail opportunities.

“The upper deck of the special featured ramp also created useable roof space in the evening as a higher ground viewing deck. One of the project’s major moments was the grand launch, officiated by Melaka’s Chief Minister, what I would call our first marker in Malaysia.”

MORE: www.ms-partners.co/the-green

The digital revolution is firmly on Melvin’s radar, the advancement of autonomous technologies and convenience-driven lifestyles now critical factors for architects to consider.

“In my view, the sector has a lot of catching up to do,” he says. “I can only

envision the need for our practice to continue venturing into the ever growing need to engrave user-experience within our designs as if our lives depend on it.

“AI and smart solutions are the next big thing that is impacting the building Asia Outlook issue 43 | 81

MUN SHUNG & PARTNERS “WE WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO INSPIRE MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES WITHIN OUR WORK, AS WELL AS PUSH FORWARD FOR MORE EXPLORATION AND EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN METHODS”

CONSTRUCTION industry – they now have the ability to print houses! Front doors no longer need keys, a fridge orders your milk for you when close to empty, and homes can talk and entertain you without lifting a finger.

“If shutting out blinds and switching lights off before we leave home is now considered the traditional way, then we as architects and designers of cities and neighbourhoods will also need to acclimatise.”

The company itself is already adapting. For example, it has been able to print 3D models of its designs in its studio for five years, a breakthrough which marked the beginning of a new modern era.

Anticipating the next wave of advances is now key for Mun Shung & Partners, one of several priorities for the year ahead as Melvin brings the conversation to a close.

PRODUCT SNAPSHOT

ADMIRAL CITY MASTERPLAN Admiral City is a themed 150-acre masterplan designed to cater for highend commercial developments. Based in Melaka, the proposed scheme includes 53,000 square metres of hotels, 800,000 square metres of serviced apartments and more than 350,000 square metres of retail space, as well as a seafront marina and seaplane terminal.

MORE: www.ms-partners.co/admiral-city

PRODUCT SNAPSHOT

MULBERRY MEWS Based in London, UK, this development has replaced redundant twostorey warehouse buildings with contemporary living and working spaces.

The scheme utilises natural ventilation and sustainable technologies, while creating life and interaction day and night through retail and small workspace units centred around a pedestrian area.

MORE: www.ms-partners.co/mulberry-mews

“I would like the team to continue being more robust with our design ambitions and to keep producing more interesting scheme proposals to suit the current and ever demanding market trends,” he says. “We will be investing more time and effort to incorporate more advanced software and AI technology into our design methods and processes, thus giving us more time to design.

“We will certainly continue to inspire more community engagement activities within our work, as well as push forward for more exploration and experiential design methods. It will be an exciting year.”

MUN SHUNG & PARTNERS Tel: +603 6411 9895 info@ms-partners.co www.ms-partners.co

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 83

TAWAP KAMEN INVESTMENT GROUP

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MINING

P

apau New Guinea is a country worth keeping an eye on.

Entangled in the array of islands strewn between the Southeast Asian mainland and Australia, it has a lot in common with its archipelago neighbours of Indonesia and the Philippines. From its sun-kissed sand beaches and untouched forest-cloaked mountains to flamboyant, enthralling local cultures, it resembles something of an earthly paradise.

Behind closed doors, however, PNG is taking great strides, its GDP having exploded since the turn of the millennium, now valued at $23.5 billion – up from the $3.5 billion recorded two decades earlier.

The driving force behind this astounding growth? A buoyant extractives sector that is only just getting started in the eyes of Tawap Kamen Investment Group (TKI) General Manager Peter Pridgeon.

“Even today, PNG is relatively untouched,” he explains. “Mining activities have been widespread here

THE SIX KEYS TO TKI’S SUCCESS 1) A passion for constructive working relationships with clients and communities.

EMPOWERING TKI Group is helping to pave the way for Papua New Guinea’s resource-led development, backing major projects with exemplary service and unrivalled experience Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

3) Drawing on decades of local knowledge and relationships.

4) A balance of local and international management expertise.

PHOTO BY WILLIAM FITCH PHOTOGRAPHY

PNG

2) A focus on integrating client values and management systems.

5) A motivated and skilled employee base, with fast access to expanded resources.

6) Robust governance to maintain financial stability and enable ongoing growth.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 85

TAWAP KAMEN INVESTMENT GROUP

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM FITCH PHOTOGRAPHY

for generations, yes, but with so many developing opportunities and minerals only now being unearthed, it’s a great time to be here working and discovering what’s out there.

“The resource sector is giving PNG the opportunity to grow. It’s emerging as a nation by harnessing its natural assets.”

Indeed, TKI itself has been a pivotal player in helping to facilitate this economic boom.

A local company founded to respond to the labour needs of the local Ok Tedi Mine that can be found at the foot of Mt Fubilan in the country’s Western Province in 1989, it today employs close to 1,000 PNG nationals and expatriates, delivering an array of critical engineering, construction and transportation services, amongst

86 | Asia Outlook issue 43

others, to the region.

“Our vision is to become a leader in the provision of complementary services to the resources and energy sector and beyond,” Pridgeon affirms.

“We’re a leader in our field in the Western Province and hold decades of experience supporting major mining operations, working with an array of governmental and private business partners.”

DRIVEN BY DEVELOPMENT Talk of grand ambitions begs a new question: how does TKI plan to both consolidate and further its reputation?

Pondering this, the GM is quick to point to the company’s culture of opportunity and development, best evidenced by its employment practices.

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TAWAP KAMEN INVESTMENT GROUP auditing structure to an all-encompassing digital platform.

Here, the company has hired two bright graduates, one with an information systems degree and the other specialising in computer science, to help spearhead the project.

“It’s been great watching these guys testing their skills out and applying their education to solve real world problems in a practical way,” Sebastian Pridgeon, the organisation’s Quality Assurance Manager, states, briefly entering the conversation.

“We also have a group of safety officers going through Cert IV Australian Standards for Safety Course, and we’re assisting some of our office staff in undertaking business administration diplomas.”

Currently in the trial phase, TKI has invested in and distributed scores of digital tablets throughout its workforce, gradually integrating its new automated software and cloud systems via employee training sessions.

“And we’re going to ramp this up through 2020,” the Quality Assurance Manager adds. “The aim is to become paperless by 2021.”

RECOGNISING A WIDER RESPONSIBILITY TKI’s own workforce aside, these development-centric values continue to shine through in a number of other ways.

Of late, the company has been taking a more proactive approach to corporate social responsibility, 2019 having witnessed a host of different initiatives including the repair of floodlights at the local Tabubil sports field, the celebration of World AIDS Awareness Day and World Environment Day, and a blood drive in which its staff donated nine pints of blood to a local hospital running low on supplies.

Further, underpinning all of these efforts is a recent change in the company’s shareholder structure.

PHOTO BY WILLIAM FITCH PHOTOGRAPHY

“We’re a progressive company,” he states. “We prefer to hire bright, ambitious people that show creative flair and innovative promise – a lot of our management team are high performing, young individuals.

“We do tend to hire local Papua New Guinean graduates, but from a mixture of fields. Some are from mining or mineral processing backgrounds, while others have studied IT, HR, or other degrees.

“Likewise, although our workforce is 97 percent national, we don’t prefer to hire one person over another for any particular reason. Developing local people is crucial, but we balance that with ensuring that the best person is hired for the role and offer competitive packages to attract top talent.”

Committed to these criteria, TKI’s expert workforce continues to excel when given the opportunity, a prime example coming from the ongoing overhaul of its internal processes from a paper-based compliance and

88 | Asia Outlook issue 43

MINING

Haulmark Trailers (Australia) Â proudly supporting Peter and his team at TKI Group.

Phone (Brisbane): +61 (07) 3277 3666 Email sales@haulmark.com.au www.haulmark.com.au

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 89

TAWAP KAMEN INVESTMENT GROUP

ONE GROUP, EIGHT BUSINESSES Tawap Kamen Investment Group comprises eight different divisions.

These are summarised as follows: TKI ENGINEERING: Provides diverse, round the clock services including design and drafting, steel fabrication, welding, plant and pipeline upgrades, shutdowns and maintenance.

TKI CIVIL: Performs a wide range of civil works projects from earthworks to road maintenance to drainage and foundation works.

TKI CONSTRUCTION: Offers competitive and varied services including residential and commercial construction, civil works, joinery projects, tree management and more.

TKI ELECTRICAL: Comprising effective capabilities including maintenance of white goods, air conditioner and refrigerator installation, meter box installation and testing services, amongst others.

TKI SECURITY: The largest security business in the Western Province, TKI is able to support resources, energy, government and private sector clients day and night in achieving uninterrupted business operations.

TKI TRANSPORT: Offers professional transportation and logistics services with a fleet of trucks, trailers, tankers, side-lifters and loaders to meet the demanding schedules of world class mining operations.

TKI MANPOWER: Services include permanent and temporary recruitment, specialist support in managing fly-in-fly-out contracts, labour hire, payroll and travel services.

TKI MACHINERY HIRE: Offering equipment hire opportunities of advanced civil works, construction works and transportation machinery and vehicles.

90 | Asia Outlook issue 43

The GM explains: “Rather than being a private entity, 80 percent of TKI’s shares are now owned by Telefomin and Western Foundation, an entity that has become the vehicle for us giving back to the PNG community.

“Through this model, four fifths of our profits are delivered directly to helping the development of the local region, something that we here at TKI feel particularly passionate about.

“Our business assists others in extracting the country’s natural resources, so it’s only right that we deposit benefit simultaneously. This, alongside empowering our own workforce, is another way in which we can do that.”

Indeed, looking at some of the company’s revenue generating projects, the same rings true.

The company built the Oksapmin school, for instance, flying a crew of construction experts into a remote area of the Western Province who then spent roughly one year completing the

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM FITCH PHOTOGRAPHY

MINING

facility for the local community.

Meanwhile, much of the long-term success of the Ok Tedi Mine, a key contributor to the local economy, can be attributed to the mining and construction works specialist, the company still servicing the mine today, 30 years after it first became contracted.

“We recently demolished the old Ok Tedi Mine workshop, for example, a four-month long project that took 88,000 man hours,” Peter Pridgeon reveals, adding to the two million hours without any lost time injuries that was celebrated by the company back in December 2018.

AN EXPANDING OUTLOOK This impeccable safety record is a true indicator of how quickly PNG’s heavy industry is moving, progressing and improving, TKI itself at the forefront of this curve.

Pridgeon and his team can’t claim all the credit, however. And indeed they don’t, the GM pointing to the role of

partners and suppliers as critical to the success of its own operation.

“From sourcing key equipment to moving heavy machinery in remote locations and then acquiring the parts needed to maintain them, our results are heavily reliant on these efforts,” he states.

“We use a fleet of 14 prime movers for transportation of essential goods, for example, and currently have a 90 percent uptime across these, which is exceptional given the challenges that can arise from working in a developing country such as PNG.” Owed to this network of reliable, trusted suppliers that has been established over a 30-year period, combined with an enviable, diversified workforce and a renewed emphasis on the importance of technologies, TKI is well positioned to capitalise on new opportunities moving forward.

And that is exactly what the company intends to do, Pridgeon concluding with a buoyant statement.

“We’re entirely optimistic about the future – I can only foresee growth for PNG’s resource sector,” he begins.

“There are of course closing timelines in regard to establishing a resource and getting legislative consent, but we’re always on hand to partner with the appropriate enterprises in this field.

“Looking ahead, we want to hone our systems and work procedures as well as bolster our safety protocols. But we also want to expand TKI’s operation outside of Western Province.

“Within the next three years, we’re hopeful that half of our revenue will be derived from new regions.”

TAWAP KAMEN INVESTMENT GROUP Tel: +675 649 9116 www.tki.com.pg

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 91

PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD (PNMB)

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TECHNOLOGY

The Futureproof PNMB has been a Malaysian mainstay since 1888, the organisation now turning to digital solutions and private investment as ways to diversify from its traditional printing base Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

A

sia, it is widely believed, is the home of printing.

As early as the second century CE, the Chinese were said to have discovered how to print, the likes of paper and ink relatively well-established materials by this time.

The modern, mass-producing printing presses arrived much later thanks to German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg, whose 15th century invention revolutionised the way in which information was printed, chiefly through a mechanised process as opposed to assembly by hand.

The breakthrough kickstarted an industrialisation of printing which continues to serve as a crucial form of information distribution to this very day, even in what is a relentlessly digitising world.

In Malaysia, an organisation synonymous with printing for the last 130-plus years is Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad (PNMB).

Starting out as an official government operation, PNMB’s printed documents were vital to disseminate information, gazetted laws and regulations, official books, manuals and standard

Mohamad Bin Abdullah is a vastly experienced business executive, with higher education certifications from both the University of Bath and Harvard University.

Today he stands as MD and CEO of PNMB.

operating procedures, the now part-private company responsible for the security and integrity of these documents.

But times do and have changed.

“Digitisation is not a choice but a necessity to survive,” comments Mohamad Bin Abdullah, PNMB’s present day Managing Director. “As horses were replaced by cars, printed products are being replaced by digital products, the movement of newspapers online being a prime example.

“However, print will always be needed but at a smaller scale and volume into a more premium product of aesthetic value – repurposed into the opposite of what traditionally was used.”

PNMB has therefore repositioned itself as a total printing solutions provider, its vision to serve as a world-class, trusted and secure partner of choice, building on the reputation gained since it set up in 1888.

Today the organisation operates with a physical presence throughout Malaysia with 10 branches and outlets, including regional production capabilities supported by more than 1,000 employees. The past few years Asia Outlook issue 43 | 93

PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD (PNMB) have also witnessed an increasing shift towards a private customer base, the company now approaching business with a more commercial mindset since the privatisation exercise commenced in 2017.

A JOURNEY INTO FINTECH Indeed, Mohamad’s aim is to increase the proportion of private customers from the 10 percent it is today to 30 percent in the near future.

In order to do this, PNMB has massively diversified its offering way beyond traditional print services, fintech being one such umbrella under which several products and solutions have been recently launched.

“This work is steered by our fintech startup Payfo, which is fully owned

by PNMB and based out of Kuala Lumpur,” explains Mohamad. “Our charter is to disrupt the financial space by building innovative products

and solutions to augment and assist current needs from both businesses and direct users, and also to provide financial means for the underserved.

“The focus is to build sustainable, scalable business products, built out of an existing need, either through the requests made from our extensive stable of corporate customers or through innovating an existing product or service from within our group.”

PNMB’s fintech portfolio spans several verticals, chiefly wallets, payments, remittance and money exchange, and digital banking solutions.

For instance, Openbills is an aggregated payments platform operating in real time for both corporations and consumers, with users able to make bulk payments and receive rewards for doing so through Joy, another application within the Payfo stable which serves as an agnostic loyalty

DRIVING THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION PNMB’s digital portfolio of finance solutions is vast, from loyalty programmes to 24-hour online banking services.

Three examples are: JOY: PNMB’s agnostic rewards platform, able to integrate into existing corporations’ setups. Users are able to purchase a myriad of products and services and receive cashback for any transaction done on the platform.

SUBSPAYS: A modular subsidy platform designed for state and federal organisations to help usher in the cashless revolution. It is a fully digital solution with recipients of subsidies receiving a physical card which they can use to acquire whatever product or service that has been subsidised e.g. food, transport. PNMB is currently working with North Asian authorities to roll this out across its public transportation network.

DIGITAL BANK: Here, PNMB is targeting young, tech-savvy generations and SMEs who find it difficult to acquire credit, partnering with a global best-inclass advisory and technology partners to create a unique 21st century financial tool that looks beyond your typical credit scores and financial footprint. Users’ financial data will be based on social media use, mobile phone behaviour and bill payments together with traditional credit bureau scores. Beyond this, a full suite of banking services is available, while digital IDs are also in the pipeline to be incorporated into the service subject to government approval of the initiative.

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APRIL Far East Sdn Bhd PaperOne™ PaperOne™, a premium quality paper brand designed for the most demanding high-speed printing and copying tasks, was launched by APRIL Group in May 1998.

Determined to make PaperOne™ a clear industry leader, we benchmarked our home, office and commercial printing paper products against top international paper brands across all areas, including thickness, opacity and archival qualities. The moisture-proof wrappers of PaperOne™ products were meticulously designed, from the choice of colours and logo typeface to the strategic placement of product information. We also ensured that our PaperOne™ carton boxes would be reusable, ergonomic and lightweight.

PaperOne™ debuted in the most demanding international markets in 1998, launching in the USA, Europe and Japan. Today, our global brand PaperOne™ is sold in more than 70 countries, delivering consistent professional printing quality with minimal environmental impact.

In recognition of its environmental stewardship, APRIL Group was awarded the PEFC Sustainable Forest Management certification in June 2015 for making products from 100 percent renewable fibres and sustainable sources.

Leading technology with improved results In 2015, we formulated ProDigi™ HD Print Technology for PaperOne™. A breakthrough innovation for the paper industry, ProDigi™ provides smudgefree printouts with vibrant colours and crisp lines, while being proven to use less ink.

Based on an independent evaluation conducted by Buyers Laboratory (BLI), our paper saves up to 18 percent more ink than other paper products, enhancing colour vibrancy and enabling more precise ink drops on the page. The technology also reduces ink-bleed, resulting in sharper and cleaner images.

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PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD (PNMB) programme which dispenses cashback for every transaction done on the app.

Bepasar is another useful tool for corporations, specialising in the needs of migrant workers through services such as OTT content, mobile top-ups and digital remittance.

“Any migrant in Malaysia is a potential customer,” adds Mohamad. “And any employer with a large base of migrants has a huge reason to depend on Bepasar to digitise most if not all of their day to day corporate needs, from paying their salaries to monitoring their locations and even managing their work efforts.”

SMART AND SECURE This is not to suggest that PNMB has abandoned its traditional core of producing quality physical products.

Indeed, bespoke, high-end printing is still carried out by the company, while it has also become renowned for its smartcard capabilities.

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Central to this is the Smartcard Technology Centre, a state-of-theart facility costing 60 million Ringgit ($14.63 million) that spearheads end-to-end card manufacturing and personalisation. Cards are chip-based and integrated with sophisticated software, and able to integrate with any payment gateway for card payment and prepaid systems.

“For our customers this is a total smartcard solution,” says Mohamad.

“It can provide long-term efficiency

gains and cost savings and, critically, has Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance for processing and storing information. As well as this, we can incorporate personalisation into the manufacturing process.”

The cards are also secure, this being another area identified by Mohamad as crucial in this era of digitisation.

A specific issue highlighted by the Managing Director is fraud and counterfeiting, something which he describes as more rampant than ever.

TECHNOLOGY

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Asia Outlook issue 43 | 97

PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD (PNMB)

To tackle this, PNMB has launched the Identem suite of product authentication and brand protection solutions.

These solutions are also designed to complement PNMB’s new focus into security label and tax stamp products.

The Identem technology platform enables brand owners to protect their brands and products from counterfeit through a secure product serialisation 98 | Asia Outlook issue 43

process using the IdentemTag application, which then enables product authentication and end-to-end supply chain traceability on the IdentemTrace platform. The platform utilises specialised mobile applications for regulatory agencies or supply chain participants to allow product verification and supply chain monitoring, as well as the IdentemEngage mobile application for

consumer brand engagement.

For projects involving tax stamps, the IdentemEnforce system offers an integrated solution that empowers regulatory agencies to manage their digital tax stamp programme efficiently and transparently through complete authentication, production monitoring, traceability and regulatory management functionalities.

TECHNOLOGY

“THIS IS NOT ABOUT EQUIPMENT, CAPABILITIES OR PROCESS – THAT IS THE EASY PART. RATHER, IT HAS BEEN ABOUT EMBRACING CHALLENGES AND MOVING OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE...”

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY As well as overseeing the development and launch of a vast range of new, technology-driven products and solutions, Mohamad has also had to embed something of a cultural migration into PNMB. The company has taken on around 150 new digitally savvy people since the MD joined in 2017 as part of the organisation’s privatisation exercise, joining the 1,100-strong workforce, many of whom have been with the firm for well over a decade.

“Readjusting the mindset from a government company to a commercial enterprise embracing digital innovation has been one of the biggest challenges we have encountered during the past three years,”

Mohamad reveals. “People remain our most important asset, and we have embarked on a high-performance culture programme to develop our employees.

“This is not about equipment, capabilities or process – that is the easy part. Rather, it has been about embracing challenges and moving out of our comfort zone, encouraging a creative mindset with an emphasis on learning and upskilling.

“I believe this is represented in our values which are represented by PECTIN, standing for professionalism, excellence, creativity, teamwork, integrity, and nimbleness. We have certainly made progress, but I am never satisfied that the job is complete.”

Progressing this cultural shift is a key

priority for the MD and PNMB as they look ahead to a busy year, the company set to continue incorporating elements of authentication and traceability, augmented reality and financial technology into what are perceived to be traditional printing products.

Concluding optimistically, Mohamad says: “I want us to expand and diversify our customer base, products and services, building on the progress we have made over the past three years.

“For our customers, the ultimate aim is to enable them to utilise existing technologies to make their processes more efficient and cost-saving by integrating our solutions with technologies they are already using. I am sure that 2020 will be a busy year for PNMB.” PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD (PNMB) Tel: +603-92366888 cservice@printnasional.com.my www.printnasional.com.my

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LINTASARTA

Indonesia’s One-stop ICT Solution Provider Able to offer everything from broadband and cloud to telco and e-health solutions, Lintasarta is playing a leading role in the country’s rapid digitalisation Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

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TECHNOLOGY

I

ndonesia – the world’s fourth most populous nation, 10th largest economy in purchasing power terms and undoubted success story since the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.

Consistently recording GDP growth of more than five percent a year, the archipelago of more than 17,500 islands is something of a regional powerhouse, its per capita income rising from $823 in 2000 to almost $4,000 in 2018, progress which has led to poverty rates being cut by more than half since the turn of the millenium.

A key driver of this ongoing development? Rapid digitalisation of consumers’ everyday lives and commercial endeavours across numerous industries.

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LINTASARTA “Technology in Indonesia has been enjoying an interesting and significant growth journey,” says Business Director at business information and communications solutions specialist Lintasarta Alfi Asman.

“For example, the IT services market is predicted to expand by around 19 percent in 2020, and we expect it will continue for the next couple of years,” he adds.

Asman is right to be excited about the nation’s digital prospects.

Research by Google-Temasek suggests that Indonesia’s digital economy will surpass $100 billion in 2025, accounting for nearly half of the entire Southeast Asian region’s market value, a trend which the Business Director has witnessed first-hand since he joined Lintasarta.

Asman identified the company as an early pioneer in the country’s digital development, a major factor in his decision to make the move in 1990.

“SMART CITY PROJECTS REPRESENT ONE OF THE HOTTEST INITIATIVES AMONG OUR CITY LEADERS, ESPECIALLY AFTER PRESIDENT MEGAWATI ENCOURAGED THEM TO IMPLEMENT E-GOVERNMENT IN 2003”

“When I joined, Lintasarta was a transformative IT company also servicing banking applications and infrastructure, which not many others were doing,” he explains. “It was the only company that was given a datacomm license by the government and we were growing very fast.”

From major urban centres to remote areas scattered throughout the Indonesian islands, Lintasarta has been supporting companies in their IT-based endeavours since it was established as a subsidiary of PT Indosat Tbk in April 1988.

STANDING OUT Lintasarta has been recognised by industry peers with several awards and accolades through the years. We asked Asman what he believes sets the company apart in its field.

“One of Lintasarta’s competitive advantages is that we have a wide range of products and licenses relating to ICT services, from telco to IT,” the Business Director states.

“It means that we can bundle the services and give a one-stop solution to our customers – not many providers can do the same. We also have complete ICT infrastructures, such as fibre optic, radio link, broadband wireless, VSAT, data centre and cloud computing.”

To enrich its product portfolio, Lintasarta is developing solutions for several industries on top of its infrastructures and existing services, such as e-KYC for the financial sector, smart city solutions for government, health information systems (HIS) and third party administration (TPA) for the healthcare and insurance industries.

“Lintasarta has more than 31 years’ experience in serving technology to the B2B market,” Asman adds. “There is no doubt that we can understand our customers’ needs more than most, and we have local presence in more than 50 cities through Indonesia, a footprint which helps us serve our customers faster and better.”

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Today the firm has presence in more than 50 Indonesian cities, its services supported by over 1,000 experienced staff – some hold international certifications – who help to service 2,400 corporate customers across 35,000plus networks.

Such services include fibre optic data communications, satellite networks, managed security and collaboration, data centres and DRCs, cloud computing, IT outsourcing, e-health, third party administrators (TPA), smart city solutions and total data communication solutions.

TECHNOLOGY

Delivering Innovative and Valuable ICT Solutions Astel Sistem Teknologi (AST) had been a strategic partner for Lintasarta, for many years. AST had supplied and deployed multi technologies in Lintasarta network, such as Metro-Ethernet solution and VSAT solution, from various world-class vendors (Extreme Networks, Mellanox Technologies, i-Direct, Ruckus etc).

AST focus on 5 solution pillars: 1. Customer Experience 2. Security 3. Network 4. Data Center Infrastructure 5. Internet of Things Jalan Pintu Air Raya No. 2-F, Jakarta, 10710, Indonesia.

(62) 21-386 7575, 380 4182, astel@unias.com, www.astelnetworks.com

BUILDING A SMARTER NATION Working with the Indonesian government, Lintasarta is giving its best efforts to help the country to gear up for the smart city era, a field of work that particularly excites Asman.

“Smart city projects represent one of the hottest initiatives among our city leaders, especially after President Megawati encouraged them to implement e-government in 2003,” he adds. “According to IDC, these initiatives will translate to $135 billion of technology investments worldwide by 2021.”

Lintasarta is providing end-to-end solutions to help the government realise such objectives.

It is doing so in several phases, the first of which is to develop a smart city masterplan to ensure the products and services recommended are relevant to each city’s needs.

The second stage involves the building of infrastructure, which covers data communication, data centres, cloud computing services, CCTV, IoT sensors and command centres, among others.

“The third phase is the most important and also challenging,” Asman says, “as we provide the smart city platform, a platform to integrate all kinds of data and systems within the city. This includes integration with IoT sensors.

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Asia Outlook issue 43 | 103

LINTASARTA

Alfi Asman, Business Director

SUPPORTING STARTUPS As well as serving its own customers, Lintasarta is actively engaged in the Indonesian government’s 1000 Digital Start-up Movement.

The company works closely with three leading universities in the country – Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Universitas Gajah

Mada (UGM) and Institut Teknologi Surabaya (ITS) – in a bid to build startup capacity in the national economy.

“The name of the programme is Appcelerate,” adds Asman. “We support college students to become entrepreneurs by establishing startup businesses, and after that we collaborate with them to serve our customers.

“We provide funding, IT infrastructure like cloud and internet access and working space, teach them about businesses and how to run and grow them, and also help them connect their products to our customers. Some startups that have graduated from this programme include Kazee (media analytics), HaloFina (financial information and education), and many others.”

TECHNOLOGY

“The fourth phase is the solution, and we focus on two categories here.

First, to help the government increase and improve its level of public service, through citizen reports, social media analytics, IoT-powered water quality monitoring, IoT smart lighting, and more. The second focus is on growing regional revenue, for example with smart farmer applications, smart tourism, and e-tax solutions.”

Finally, and equally as critical, is the acclimatisation and knowledge sharing that will ensure both Indonesian authorities and citizens understand and make the most out of their smart cities.

INDONESIA’S DIGITAL COMPANION Provision of such a wide array of solutions (for smart cities or otherwise) requires constant innovation, experimentation and market research in order to remain relevant, meaning the company is always busy working on new projects across a range of specialisms.

Asman picks up on the issue of cybersecurity as a case in point.

“Indonesia’s internet user base is growing at a tremendous pace,” he says. “More and more services are connected and consumed through the internet. On the other hand, compared to other developed countries, the GDP

to cybersecurity investment ratio is still on the low side.

“So, it’s very important that Indonesia catches up to meet industry standard, mainly for government and enterprise.”

Today, Lintasarta provides network security solutions to B2B companies in Indonesia for several years, either via its own premise or customer premise.

“Our new initiatives include a security incident response team that helps our clients to leverage our cybersecurity competences to handle and mitigate threats,” Asman adds.

Further, in Jakarta the company is in the process of expanding its data centre and building a new security operations hub, a development which will only enhance its cybersecurity credentials.

In the cloud arena, the Business Director highlights a new partnership with Google which will strengthen Lintasarta’s position in providing analytic/AI solutions to enterprises, one of many such collaborations with both international and local partners that combine to enhance Lintasarta’s value proposition to clients.

“Partners are important for us because we are in a hi-tech business,” Asman says. “We have to choose the right partners to work with.

“To ensure we choose the right partners, we carry out some international

tenders in which we are not only looking for best price and support, but proof of concept and interoperability with our existing ecosystem. We also run simulations to see if the technology in question can work end-to-end.”

Constant evaluation and exploration of partnerships will be vital to Lintasarta’s bid to remain relevant in the digital growth journeys of existing and prospective customers.

Indeed, the ability to be agile and adaptable is central to Asman’s ambitions for 2020 and beyond, the Business Director concluding the conversation by stating a number of priorities for the year ahead.

He expresses: “Lintasarta will always be developing new technological solutions to help customers to grow their businesses. We will be able to do this by continuously developing the talent inside the organisation as well as deepening collaboration with strategic partners.

“This will all contribute to our ultimate tagline as a company: empowering your future.”

LINTASARTA Tel: +6221 230 2345 info@lintasarta.co.id www.lintasarta.net

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 105

RETAIL PRODIGY GROUP

Ramping up the Retail Experience Through its NIKE, TOMS and Timbuk2 brands, Australia’s Retail Prodigy Group is creating an engaging and seamless customer experience across multiple channels, a must in the modern retail world Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

N

IKE needs no introduction.

Recognised as the most powerful apparel brand in the world, its value increased by some 16 percent in 2019 to US$32.4 billion.

The iconic sportswear giant is constantly putting itself in front of consumers – last year’s Dream Crazy advert featuring Colin Kaepernick

106 | Asia Outlook issue 43

sparked a social media backlash in the US with some customers going as far as to burn their NIKE products.

However, albeit controversial, sales actually increased the following weekend, while last year’s Oscars’ ceremony saw the premiere of the follow-up Dream Crazier, a celebration of inspirational female athletes.

RETAIL

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 107

RETAIL PRODIGY GROUP Indeed, NIKE is a brand synonymous with inspiration and opportunity, not least for those who work for it.

In 2011 it provided Stephen Younane the chance to co-found his own retail enterprise in the form of Retail Prodigy Group (RPG), the firm now employing 700 people across his home country Australia and neighbouring New Zealand.

“The forming of RPG was inspired by the opportunity to partner with NIKE on its direct to consumer growth strategy as the master retail franchisee across Australia and NZ,” recalls Younane, now serving as the organisation’s CEO. “It wasn’t an easy decision to leave the security of the corporate world and start a private venture, but the opportunity to utilise my NIKE experience together with my retail experience was too good an opportunity to let go. RPG provided me with the platform to bring together my passion for retail and NIKE.” Younane is an industry veteran of

RPG – THE BASICS HEAD OFFICE: Brighton, Melbourne Operates a 3PL warehouse in Melbourne NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES ACROSS AUSTRALIA AND NZ: 700 NUMBER OF NIKE STORES: 47 (41 Australia, 6 NZ) TOMS DISTRIBUTOR: 4 Australian stores, online and wholesale TIMBUK2 DISTRIBUTOR: 2 Australian stores, online and wholesale As well as its three brands, RPG also operates a store design and fitout company (RPG Design) and a retail operations management firm specialising in events such as the 2020 Australian Open tennis tournament (RPG Events).

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more than 30 years, working through the ranks of Aussie department store giant Myer before holding senior positions at Jeanswest, Luxottica and NIKE. “Retail is an exciting career that provides challenges across the full spectrum of business and people management.” Younane adds. “I am grateful for the opportunities that the industry has given me and I hope that RPG can also inspire young retailers to pursue a career in the sector.”

THE ULTIMATE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE RPG operates 47 NIKE stores across the ANZ region and acts as distributor for shoe brand TOMS and bag specialist Timbuk2, respectively managing four and two stores in Australia as well as their ecommerce and wholesale operations.

Last year saw a major push with NIKE. A new NIKE Store was opened in the Australian capital Canberra, while RPG refurbished and expanded two stores in Melbourne, one in Highpoint Shopping Centre and the other in Melbourne Central Shopping Centre.

“The opportunity to expand the footprint of our stores provides an enhanced customer experience through a wider product assortment, enhanced services and elevated visual merchandising,” Younane explains.

“Early indications would suggest that bigger stores in A-grade malls are having some success and will influence our store network planning in the coming years.”

The recent refurbishment of RPG’s first NIKE Store, in Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, is proving the CEO’s point.

It has been a huge project. In 2011 it occupied 430 square metres on a single level, whereas today it spans 630 square metres over two floors, a growth of just under 50 percent.

The flagship site in Melbourne is also the first and only store in Australia to offer NIKE By You, a service that

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allows customers to personalise their NIKE sneakers and apparel by printing and engraving their chosen initials or phrase on items, with coloured laces also available on footwear.

“In addition to the NIKE By You service, the store features a 35 percent bigger footwear offering with 115 different sneaker silhouettes, including an increased NIKE Air Jordan offering and exclusive NIKE sneaker collaborations,” adds Younane.

“The store also houses a strong women’s apparel collection with more than 50 bra and tight options, including a one-to-one bra fitting and styling service, and an increased focus on other forms of sport, such as yoga, pilates and dance.”

The CEO is determined to continue using the Melbourne Central store as a hub for customer experience innovation – it is already a flagship operation, its staff also playing a critical role in delivering the best of the NIKE brand to consumers.

RETAIL

If we knew anything about print advertising, this ad would probably be more successful.

We’re much better at eCommerce.

“At RPG we have five core values: care, coach, energy, accountability and innovation,” Younane continues.

“Under our core value of coach, we take training and development seriously. We need to build a learning culture as we are committed to our company purpose of creating the ultimate customer experience. Coaching is all about inspiring our teammates to achieve their personal best.”

Here, the company approaches training and development through a multitude of channels. These include an e-learning platform which contains programmes suitable for every one of RPG’s 700 employees, from sales specialists to store managers. It also acts as a portal for brand updates and product information.

Face to face interaction is equally valued, Younane highlighting the importance of various workshops covering service, seasonal product and management and leadership training.

“The biggest event we run each year

SUPPLIERS = PARTNERS As well as its own people, RPG is dependent on a network of reliable suppliers in order to function efficiently on a day to day basis, suppliers which Younane refers to as strategic partners.

“Our key suppliers have been instrumental to our success to date and will be integral to future strategies,” he explains. “They are seen more as partners than suppliers as they provide innovation in pursuit of our purpose of creating the ultimate customer experience, and they support and enhance the capabilities of the RPG team.

“The hard part is finding the right people and companies to partner with. While previous experience and performance are important, it’s the cultural fit that carries the most weight in our selection criteria. I think we get this mostly right as we have had long term relationships with 90 percent of our suppliers… or should I say, partners.”

is our annual conference, where all of our store managers across Australia and New Zealand come to Melbourne for three days of learning, celebrating and planning,” the CEO reveals. “This is the largest and most exciting event for me personally as I get the opportunity

to engage with my team in one place for three days. It is very inspiring.”

MULTI-BRAND, MULTICHANNEL Away from customer service in-store, another extension of the consumer experience is, of course, online.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 109

RETAIL PRODIGY GROUP

Nike store, Melbourne Central

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RETAIL Younane, although stating that RPG is in the early stages of developing ecommerce as a key channel across its brands, recognises its importance in delivering the aforementioned ultimate customer experience.

As distributor for TOMS and Timbuk2, the organisation is working towards a seamless integration of physical and online retail, with major focus areas being click and collect, reserve online and buy in store, and ship from store offerings.

The results have been impressive off what has been a relatively low ecommerce investment to date, the CEO identifying 2020 as the year to drive this channel forwards with greater financial resources.

“Over the past 18 months we have achieved a great deal in launching both TOMS and Timbuk2 in Australia,” Younane states proudly. “The strategy was focused on a digital-first direct to consumer model. After the launch of the two websites, we quickly followed up with the opening of stores across Melbourne.

“Opening in our hometown of Melbourne allows us to be hands-on and stay connected to our store managers, and embrace new learnings as we build the model and plan for expansion across other cities, namely Sydney and Brisbane.

“Brand awareness via social marketing is our biggest opportunity to drive traffic to both our stores and online.

We are also working on our CRM strategy to build our customer database together with driving customer engagement and loyalty.”

New brands are also on the horizon, the success of NIKE, TOMS and Timbuk2 providing an ideal template from which to take on a greater portfolio. The CEO will not sign up to new ventures without due diligence, however, Younane admitting that he is a stickler for detail.

“We look for brands that are authentic, distinctive and scalable across multiple channels,” he says.

Toms HP

TK2 HP

Retail Prodigy Group’s values and fundementals “There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of opportunities, but we are a little fussy. We are looking to diversify with brands, categories and channels to market, but retail will always be in our DNA. We are currently exploring several exciting opportunities and expect to make some announcements in the next six months.”

Multichannel growth of new and

existing brands is one of three major objectives for the year ahead, the second revolving around strengthening RPG’s customer-focussed ethos through attracting and developing talented individuals seeking a career in retail.

The final goal carries more of a philanthropic focus, a wider societal remit for RPG that Younane outlines in his concluding statements.

“I want us to continue looking for more ways to give and contribute to a better world,” he says. “An emerging trend in 2020 will be in the area of social responsibility.

“Customers will move from appreciating to expecting and maybe even demanding that brands are doing good for people and the planet.

Purpose-led brands that focus on giving will have a differentiated and competitive market position. Customers and employees will choose a brand that gives over a brand that doesn’t.”

RETAIL PRODIGY GROUP Tel: +61 3 9530 5075 info@retailprodigygroup.com www.retailprodigygroup.com

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 111

INNOVATIVE AGRO INDUSTRY (IAI)

Inspiring Agrarian Independence Innovative Agro Industry continues to drive developments across a wide variety of agricultural endeavours, providing PNG producers with vital commercialisation opportunities and employment to many other locals Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Matthew Selby 112 | Asia Outlook issue 43

FOOD & DRINK

P

apua New Guinea should be a self-sustaining agrarian producer.

The country is blessed with naturally conducive conditions for farming a wide variety of crops – a warm and rainy climate, rich soil and abundant water resources – but despite these favourable factors it relies on imports to feed its people.

Among the top imported products, along with vehicles, fuel and heavy machinery, are meat and rice, basic dietary staples which consumers are paying inflated prices for due to a lack of commercial home production.

For Ilan Weiss, Chairman & Executive Director of Innovative Agro Industry (IAI), the opportunity to narrow this deficit and help PNG to get

back on (or discover) its farming feet was too good to turn down.

“The primary reason to engage in agriculture here are the Papua New Guineans,” he says. “You can try and engage a Papua New Guinean on any subject on any matter and they may be interested or not, just like anyone else, but you mention agriculture to them, and their eyes light up.

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 113

INNOVATIVE AGRO INDUSTRY (IAI)

BEC Feed Solutions BEC Feed Solutions is Australia’s leading supplier of animal nutrition solutions into the stock feed industry and has had a presence in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands since 1988.

Partnering with Innovation Agro Industry in PNG since its inception, BEC Feed Solutions provides premix, feed ingredients, feed additives and commodities as well as technical support directly, or through specialist consultants.

Our people have the expertise to optimise efficiencies in production systems and the capacity to assist in challenging market environments.

Our experience with clients across the pacific islands allows us to deliver goods and services efficiently.

“The reason for this is that they have been doing agriculture for far longer than Europeans – it is something that is dear to their hearts. Papua New Guineans have been farming for thousands of years but that does not deter an acceptance of innovation. You find good farmers almost everywhere in the country.”

IAI is a subsidiary of LR Group, a leading project development organisation active in Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania and South America since it established in 1986, recording over $2 billion in investments in rural initiatives.

Weiss has been leading IAI in PNG since it first arrived in the country in 2011. Its remit is to address the challenges which will enable PNG to upscale its agricultural output, challenges which include a lack of infrastructure and logistics outside of Port Moresby, financing, governance and a commercial mindset among farmers.

“To be successful in PNG, one needs to ensure service and control of the full supply and value chain,” Weiss adds. “There are no service providers or opportunities to outsource, and this is the reason that we have developed fully integrated agricultural projects.”

114 | Asia Outlook issue 43

BEC Feed Solutions currently operates premix manufacturing facilities in Brisbane, Australia and Pasuruan, Indonesia, as well as sales and technical support in New Zealand.

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GRASS TO GLASS IAI’s development portfolio in PNG is extensive, the company initiating a wide range of lifechanging schemes covering various agricultural activities such as farming, greenhouses, poultry and downprocessing.

Dairy is another critical focus, the recent launch of the country’s first commercialised dairy farm representing a particularly proud moment for Weiss and his team.

Representing a holistic, grass to glass enterprise, Ilimo Dairy Farm is based in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea and expected to produce five million litres of pasteurised dairy products every year, including fresh milk, flavoured milk, dairy snacks, ice cream, yoghurts and others.

It is a farm with sustainability at

its heart – the site is equipped with a state-of-the-art milking parlour and dairy processing plant, while use of high intensity field crops to supply its own stock feed also help it to produce products efficiently with a minimised environmental footprint.

“Our farm also has a solar farm onsite to supply additional energy requirements, and we utilise a cutting-edge waste management system to decrease our ecological impact as much as possible,” Weiss says.

“Further, we use the latest in monitoring technology to ensure our herd is comfortable, stress free, and happy.”

On the human side, the project has created 200 new jobs for PNG workers, as well as new cash cropping opportunities for Central Province farmers engaged in its feed outgrower programme.

“Transfer of knowledge is another key element of this project,” adds Weiss. “Effectively training Papua New Guineans in practices such as herd

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management, dairy product processing and distribution throughout the local community will guarantee local self-sufficiency and the continuity of the industry.

“The farm represents the vanguard of a viable local dairy industry that will ultimately replace the need for imported fresh dairy products in PNG.”

The other major beneficiaries are Papua New Guinean consumers, who have welcomed the product with open arms. Ilimo Dairy Farm has been able to supply fresh milk at less than 50 percent of the imported price, with IAI working to increase local dairy consumption by working with schools in a bid to address child malnutrition

issues. And such has been the success of the development, Weiss and his team are looking to open a second plant in Morobe.

EMPOWERMENT EN MASSE Indeed, Ilimo is one of many projects in action which are helping to transform the lives of local people.

Combined, IAI’s developments have provided job opportunities to more than 1,000 Papua New Guineans from all walks of life, the empowerment spreading to hundreds of small-scale farmers and suppliers who can now rely on a steady, commercial income stream.

Such farmers include vegetable producers, Weiss highlighting the example of a frozen vegetable enterprise in the Highlands region which is again helping to remove the reliance on imported goods.

“This is the first of its kind in PNG, and probably the first in the Pacific Islands that is equipped with an Asia Outlook issue 43 | 115

INNOVATIVE AGRO INDUSTRY (IAI) advanced IQF (individual quick freeze) processing line which procures fresh vegetables such as potatoes from local out-growers, processes them and markets the produce as frozen vegetables like French fries,” he explains.

“At a later stage, the project will also process taro and other sweet potatoes to expand to export markets.”

The setup combines the best of authenticity and modernity, the hi-tech site able to process non-industrially grown produce in a way that offers a superior tasting end product at scale.

Another commercially oriented and modern vegetable farming enterprise is the 9 Miles Agro Farm.

Operating on the outskirts of the capital Port Moresby since 2014 and employing 160 workers, the farm

POULTRY PROFICIENCY IAI is also supporting a number of projects in the poultry category across PNG, including: MOUNT FUBILAN AGRO-INDUSTRIES: Located in the Western Province, this development produces more than two million eggs and 33,000 broiler chickens for the region.

SEPIK AIC: This project proposes to form a foundation for modern commercial agriculture in the Sepik Plains (East Sepik Province). The poultry production farm will cater for the needs of the local market and supply meat and eggs as a source of fresh protein throughout the region, with completion due this year. Other focusses of the development will be grain production and stock feed processing, and a commercial cocoa plantation and processing centre.

TARI-PIWA AIC: A state-of-the-art modern agricultural facility based in Hela that produces poultry meat and provides training, enabling producers to take advantage of significant economies of scale.

KOROBA AIC: Production of eggs and fresh vegetables in Hela that meet international quality standards, otherwise unavailable in the local area.

116 | Asia Outlook issue 43

FOOD & DRINK

At the heart of IAI’s efforts is the desire to make a meaningful social impact in PNG spans six hectares and utilises greenhouses with advanced drip irrigation and climate control systems, producing around 18 tonnes of vegetables a week which represents the majority of what is available in PNG’s capital, Port Moresby.

“Meanwhile, in the rural area of Sirunki in the Enga Province, we have set up an agro-industrial services and training centre (AIC) that grows, processes and markets vegetables, focusing on premium strawberries and potatoes,” adds Weiss.

“The AIC relies on engagement with smallholders and has achieved widespread positive social impact in the region.”

POWERED BY PEOPLE, FOR PEOPLE Social impact also lies at the heart of IAI’s future pipeline of projects.

For example, in Hela Province, near the Southern Highlands, the organisation is formalising plans for a coffee industry rejuvenation development.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between IAI and partners

ExxonMobil, Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) and local governing authorities in 2018, a public private partnership that will impact up to 5,000 people over the next five years through coffee production and marketing.

“This is key to revitalising the industry in PNG,” says Weiss. “We are looking to plant up to 15 million new coffee trees in the province, and our team has been working with partners including the Coffee Industry Corporation to develop a model that will empower the people of Hela.

“The project will diversify the economic base and further encourage the development of additional small enterprise. Running parallel to the coffee project will be other agriculture initiatives – as coffee takes a long time to grow, we have developed a maize programme to provide feed to our chicken farm in Hela.”

And it is this continued creation of employment and earning opportunities for staff and farmers that forms the central motivation for all of IAI’s future planning and delivery of projects.

Weiss highlights the human aspect of the job when bringing the conversation to a close, the Chairman and Executive Director determined to build on the success of IAI’s training programmes which have resulted in PNG nationals holding key positions in all of its projects.

“The goal is to have a close to 100 percent Papua New Guinean workforce at all levels of our operations,” he says.

“We are commercially oriented, obviously, and we are definitely not shy in employing innovation, but what I believe sets us apart is our staff at all levels and the passion they bring to their work notwithstanding the challenges. A company is only as good as its workers, plain and simple.”

INNOVATIVE AGRO INDUSTRY (IAI) Tel: +675 72945305 / +675-70362271 office@iaipng.com www.iaipng.com / www.lr-group.com

Asia Outlook issue 43 | 117

EVENTS

Future Energy Asia Exhibition & Conference 2020 February 12-14 | Bangkok, Thailand | www.futureenergyasia.com

Bringing together the complete energy value chain FUT UR E EN ERGY Asia Exhibition & Conference 2020 is a global annual exhibition and conference held in Bangkok, Thailand that is dedicated to advancing future energy solutions for the region. The event is held at BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand from February 12-14, 2020.

Future Energy Asia promises to bring together the complete energy value chain in one unique meeting place and is the perfect platform for NOCs and IOCs; power producers and utility companies; clean-tech providers; service companies and engineering contractors to foster a secure, affordable and low-carbon energy mix across Asia.

The transformation and development of Thailand is a major priority for the government which creates incred118 | Asia Outlook issue 43

ible business opportunities for both integrated and non-integrated energy companies globally. The Thailand Integrated Energy Blueprint – Thailand’s energy manifesto – clearly defines the government’s commitment to promoting new energy highlighting energy security; access to affordable and reliable supplies; and clean, low-carbon alternatives for its people as its priorities.

Be part of Asia’s new meeting point for policymakers, government leaders, integrated energy companies, technology providers and entrepreneurs to discuss, debate and embrace future energy scenarios and solutions.

We look forward to welcoming all of you to Future Energy Asia Exhibition & Conference 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand.

ENDORSED BY:

CO-HOST:

1 2 - 14 F EB R U A R Y 2 020 | BITEC, BANGKOK , THAILAND

12 - 14 FEBRUARY 2020

B I T E C , B A N G KO K , T H A I L A N D

2020 CONFERENCE THEME: BUILDING THE BRIDGE TO CLEAN ENERGY Two streams of Strategic and Technical content focusing on the continuous energy shift within the region towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.

STRATEGIC CONFERENCE

TECHNICAL CONFERENCE

The Future Energy Asia Strategic Conference features key oil, gas and

The event will feature 2 on-floor and free-to-attend Centres of Technical

energy leaders at the region’s most important industry platform to foster dialogue that will shape energy transformation for the next decade.

Excellence (COTES), where over 100 technical experts will deliver key technical insights and drill down into themes outlined within the

The 3-day programme will present topics on upstream, midstream &

Strategic Conference. They are open to visitors and are designed to provide practical insights on how to implement the Energy Transition

downstream strategic content across the integrated energy value chain.

with a focus on new Gas-to-Power strategies.

EXHIBITING COMPANIES

150+

TRADE ATTENDEES

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4,000+

1,000+

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE FUTURE ENERGY ASIA 2020 CONFERENCE IN BANGKOK. Hear from Asia’s leaders in the oil, gas, power generation and renewables sector.

Stay up-to-date on the latest policy, commercials and strategy of Asia’s energy ministries and its NOCs.

SPEAKERS

200+

REPRESENTING COUNTRIES

50+

2018 CONFERENCE DELEGATE SURVEY RESULTS

86%

89%

SAID THEY WOULD RETURN IN 2020

SAID THE VALUE RECEIVED FROM THE CONFERENCES WAS WORTH THE TIME INVESTED

75%

92%

Learn from data-driven and actionable content directly relevant to your business enabling better decision making.

Market spotlights across Asia and Thailand provide in-depth knowledge on the key trends shaping the industry in the region.

Interactive sessions allow delegates and speakers to discuss, debate and collaborate on the future energy mix.

MET THEIR OBJECTIVES

BY ATTENDING THE CONFERENCES

RATED SPEAKERS AS GOOD OR EXCELLENT

BOOK YOUR PLACE TODAY!

www.FutureEnergyAsia.com/DelReg DIAMOND SPONSOR

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OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED BY

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EVENTS

Priyanka.Satapathy@iccacademy.com.sg

ICC Academy’s 9th Supply Chain Finance Summit March 4-5 | Singapore | www.icc.academy/events/9th-supply-chain-finance-summit

Blending global perspective with regional highlights N OW IN its ninth edition, the ICC Academy, the educational arm of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), is set to host the next chapter of its annual Supply Chain Finance Summit. Marked by its year-on-year success, the event returns to Singapore on March 4-5, 2020, highlighting the island city-state’s standing as a pivotal trade and financial hub that continues to shape the development of Asia’s supply chain.

Blending global perspective with regional highlights, the 2020 agenda will focus on some of the most in-demand subjects in the supply chain process.

Topics of discussion will include the evolving role of corporate treasurers; alternative finance players as the mainstay in SCF; innovative SCF and financing the digitised supply chain; managing the cross-border supply 120 | Asia Outlook issue 43

chain, green supply chain and a debate on banks versus fintech.

This two-day flagship event will bring together more than 300 of the most influential global trade and supply chain finance experts, banking professionals, business leaders, lawyers and government officials from over 20 countries to debate the critical issues affecting the physical supply chain and supply chain finance industry.

The signature event will aim at providing a platform for global professionals, practitioners, and institutionalists to exchange insights and ideas on the latest developments and challenges in the supply chain industry. Participants will be able to gain valuable knowledge from in-depth panel discussions, examine key case studies and enjoy an array of dedicated networking opportunities.

In addition to formal sessions, this summit will also be a valuable platform for informal dialogue among fellow delegates and experts to share ideas and experiences and enjoy networking.

Register now at www.icc.academy/ events/9th-supply-chain-financesummit

Amara Singapore (Hotel)

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE

165 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore 088539

• Disruption in supply chain and the role of corporate treasurers

300+

45+

20+

Delegates

Speakers

Countries

REASONS TO ATTEND SHARE IDEAS

supply chain finance

• Innovative SCF: Financing the digitized supply chain • Starting at the source: The ‘Green’ supply chain • Banks vs fintech: competition or co-existence?

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? NETWORK

KEY ISSUES

• Global vs domestic: Managing cross border supply chain • Alternative finance: From nowhere to a mainstay in

MEET EXPERTS

CASE STUDIES

DEBATES

REGISTER NOW! Or login to icc.academy/events/9th-supply-chain-finance-summit

REGISTRATION FEES General Ticket ..............................................$SGD 1000

• • • • • • • • • •

Financial Institutions Multilateral Development Banks Export Credit Agencies Government organisations Corporate treasurers Independent Financiers Insurance brokers and underwriters Lawyers and consultants Fintech companies Service Providers

FOR MORE INFORMATION Priyanka Satapathy Communications & Events Manager Tel: +65 6805 9458 E-mail: Priyanka.Satapathy@iccacademy.com.sg

The world business organization

EVENTS

Breakbulk Asia March 18-19 | Shanghai, China | www.asia.breakbulk.com

Cargo business for Belt & Road starts here BR EAK BULK ASIA is a conference and exhibition in the region for project cargo and breakbulk professionals offering an unparalleled opportunity to connect with the industrial project supply chain – shippers and service providers, local and international – who are involved in today’s megaprojects that revolve around China’s One Belt, One Road programme.

Along with finding new partners, you’ll also gain invaluable insight into critical business practices in the region. Every market has its differences and knowing how to navigate the ins and outs of compliance, cross-border regulations and contracts can have a big impact on your bottom line.

122 | Asia Outlook issue 43

18-19 March 2020 Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center (SWEECC) Shanghai, China

global reach market know-how

new business

get it HERE breakbulk aSIA DISCOVER NEW PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES IN CHINA + ONE BELT ONE ROAD PARTNER COUNTRIES, INDONESIA, JAPAN, MALAYSIA, SOUTH KOREA, THAILAND, THE PHILIPPINES, VIETNAM & MORE.

DESIGNED FOR ALL PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN PROJECT CARGO: SHIPPERS, PORTS, TERMINALS, SPECIALIZED TRANSPORT & EQUIPMENT PROVIDERS, FREIGHT FORWARDERS AND RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS.

Visit asia.breakbulk.com

EVENTS

3rd CWC Japan LNG & Gas Summit April 23-24 | Tokyo, Japan | www.cwcjapanlng.com

The commercially focused forum for Japanese LNG TH E H IGHLY successful CWC Japan LNG & Gas Summit returns for a third year from April 23-24, 2020 to Tokyo, Japan, with participation and support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), JERA Co. Inc., Tokyo Gas and the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ).

In the previous two editions, the Summit gathered over 500 senior executives from across the LNG and 124 | Asia Outlook issue 43

gas value chain in Japan and globally.

As the only commercially focused forum for the Japanese LNG industry, this is your opportunity to meet with prospective and current partners, and strike the best business deals in the largest and most established LNG market in the world.

Get in touch with our team to get involved. For more information, visit www.cwcjapanlng.com

C

M

Y

M

MY

Y

MY

K

THE FINAL WORD To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

Melvin Lim Founder & Design Director, Mun Shung & Partners “I suspect the advancement of AI and smart solutions will be the next big thing that is impacting lifestyles and market trends in the building industry – they now have the ability to print houses!

Front doors no longer need keys, a fridge orders your milk for you when close to empty, and homes can talk and entertain you without lifting a finger. If shutting out blinds and switching lights off before we leave home is now considered the traditional way, then we as architects and designers of cities and neighbourhood will also need to acclimatise.”

What will be the biggest trend impacting your industry in 2020?

Stephen Younane CEO/Co-founder, Retail Prodigy Group “At a macro level, online will continue to grow at a faster rate than bricks and mortar, and the key will be to continue to look for ways to integrate across multiple channels and ensure the customer experience is completely frictionless and seamless.

“I think other emerging trends will be in the area of social responsibility.

Customers will move from appreciating to expecting and maybe even demanding that brands are doing good for people and the planet. Purpose led brands that focus on giving will have a differentiated and competitive market position. Customers and employees will choose a brand that gives over a brand that doesn’t.”

Hulala Tokome Country General Manager, Puma Energy PNG “For us, it will be within the LPG industry as we continue to pursue opportunities in PNG’s rural regions. The government is looking to empower local people by bolstering 126 | Asia Outlook issue 43

the agriculture and tourism industries, thereby improving the quality of life for those who need it most. And offering our LPG in remote regions will be crucial in supporting that, as we’re able to facilitate a shift from using firewood for cooking and heating to using gas. That will be a positive.

“We’re aligned with the government on this, and have been supporting the shift in numerous ways, not only by supplying LNG across the country but likewise encouraging MSMEs, distributors and resellers to find a career in this sector too, ensuring they’re able to get off the ground effectively. If this space takes off, then it offers the chance to create a truly beneficial ecosystem for all parties involved, providing the grounds for entrepreneurs to kick on and households to bolster their living situation.”

Nicolas George CEO, Chip Mong Insee Cement Corporation “2020 will see a large reduction of imports into Cambodia from neighbouring countries. Local capacity has reached new heights, and the country is now in a position to fulfil construction demand internally. This should naturally lead to the substitution of imports by locally manufactured cement.

“In parallel, the market will continue to become more advanced as average incomes increase. Therefore, we expect more demand for more innovative channels and products.”

Are you a CEO/Director with a company story to tell? Contact Asia Outlook now!

Powering socioeconomic progress across PNG...

PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA

OIL & GAS

ENERGISING COMMUNITIES IN PNG

We are the major investor in critical supply chain infrastructure to ensure the country keeps moving. Through this and our refinery, we play a key role in the energy sustainability of Papua New Guinea. Our emphasis on SME development ensures this business sector will continue to grow, key to

empowering the people of this nation.

“We will partner with local entities and deliver a special part of the energy sustainability strategy for PNG, using local crude through a local refinery to feed the energy needs of the nation – a totally self-sustained energy supply chain.”

It’s been well over a year since we last sat down with Puma Energy Papua New Guinea and its then Director Jim Collings, discussing the company’s continual efforts to be a critical chain in the link of successful national development via one crucial component – energy.

The commitments made in the opening quote is where that discussion was left, the overriding message of which was clear – that Puma Energy would continue to play a key role in helping to cultivate a secure and reliable domestic supply of fuels for its growing economy.

See page

22

PUMA ENERGY PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Our core values

Global Responders Group, a reliable, experienced, and unique company.

Energising SMEs, investing in individuals and infrastructure, and delivering a complete fuel solution to urban and rural communities alike, Puma Energy PNG continues to take great strides as a local socioeconomic stalwart

“But it is also creating a critical ecosystem that is able to support the lives of so many. We’ve been proactively engaging with MSMEs since the launch of our LPG business, encouraging our local communities and people to find a career in this segment and developing a network of reliable resellers as a result.”

To date, the company has cultivated business relationships with hundreds of startup enterprises and entrepreneurs, offering up its time to guide them and develop their skillsets and competencies to ensure the successful distribution of international standard products.

“After year one, our network of local LPG partners stood at around 150,” Tokome adds. “Today, that number has reached more than 360 active dealers with anticipated growth to be in excess of 500 such partners by end of 2020.”

Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager:Josh Hyland

POWERING SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRESS ACROSS PNG 2 | Asia Outlook issue 43

QUALITY FUEL PRODUCTS “AFTER YEAR ONE, MADE IN PNG OUR NETWORK LPG is not the only way in which the OF LOCAL LPG firm has empowered budding entrepreneurs to leverage the opportunities PARTNERS STOOD provided by the oil and gas industry, AT AROUND 150... however. In tandem, it has been collabTODAY, THAT orating with a small business to find NUMBER HAS ways to treat and reprocess waste oil.

The initial pilot programme showed REACHED MORE promise, and Puma Energy PNG has THAN 360 ACTIVE since been working with the organiDEALERS WITH sation to build capacity so that it may ANTICIPATED reprocess oil on a scale that will allow it to be blended into other product GROWTH TO BE IN EXCESS OF 500 SUCH streams, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the refinery.

PARTNERS BY END Beyond these efforts, CSR has OF 2020” become an integral part of the oil Asia Outlook issue 43 | and 3 gas giant’s overall remit in recent times.

 Honesty, integrity, methodical and innovative.  We strive to understand your business and industry to offer better solutions and support.  Our team has real life experience of managing incidents.  Our focus on your risk-based solutions are key to improving your resilience and capability.  Strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations.

Our Services

Organisations facing major emergencies and business disruptions need reliable professional response and resilience capabilities. Global Responders Group (GRG) has response expertise to assist in your planning and preparedness to ensure you can manage and prevail any incident or business disruption.

Emergency response services, planning and readiness

Our group has verifiable experience in preparing for and managing incidents across the globe. Our risk-based solutions are specific to our clients’ needs. We seek out and maintain strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations to deliver unparalleled crisis and continuity capability to protect your business.

Design and specifications

GRG’s core focus is on providing a complete cycle of holistic and fit for purpose solutions. The GRG tailored approach helps our clients build sustainability to manage and reduce their risk. Whether for a project or an established operation, our clients have benefited substantially from access to the complete width and breadth of GRG’s staff knowledge and experiences.

Emergency management services

Accident investigation

Fire engineering services

Regional Response base

Access to GRG offers clients a large and versatile set of resources which not only adds value to your organisation, but the continuing relationship that generally develops, provides your organisation with a long-term partnership with GRG and added experience and capability.

Furthermore, our service does not stop at the completion of a contract, GRG is available around the clock to provide assistance in response, inquiries or management of incidents where our personnel with experience can fully support and enhance our client capability.

Health and safety applications

Incident command systems HSE technical services

Crisis and incident management Independent auditing, assessment and review Fire systems Fire brigade management Procedures and technical management Contract services

Our experienced specialists work tirelessly with our clients to provide tailored consultancy, training, equipment, manpower and 24-seven response services for maximum risk protection. Our highly experienced personnel are always accessible and ready to put their proficiency into operation.

Contact us Email: info@globalrespondersgroup.com Telephone: +66 80 609 9085 Address: 309 Moo 3, Puektian, Tayang, Petchaburi, Thailand 76130 Chief Officer: John@globalrespondersgroup.com

10 | Asia Outlook issue 43

Puma Energy PNG has told its story.

Now, why not tell yours? Our monthly magazine Asia Outlook is essential reading for business executives wanting to keep up with the latest in global news and trends affecting Asian businesses across all industries.

With a monthly coverage of over 220,000 readers, your company can take advantage of exposure in Asia Outlook with a FREE article and FREE digital brochure, as well as access to further digital and print-based marketing tools that could transform your business.

To share in this unrivalled opportunity, contact one of our project managers today!

w w w. a s i a o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 43

www.asiaoutlookmag.com/get-involved CHIP MONG INSEE CEMENT CORPORATION

Enriching lives through people, products and best practices

TKI GROUP

Backing resource businesses with exemplary service

Complementing the production of Africa Outlook, Asia Outlook and EME Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s award-winning in-house team is now utilising these same specialist production

Outlook Creative Services

skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

DESIGN:

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Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 959 656 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

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Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 959 661 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Jonathan Dyble +44 (0) 1603 959 660 jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com