The plant, located on a 1.9 hectares of land at the Serasa Industrial
Site was officially opened by His Royal Highness Prince Haji
Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime
Minister’s Office on Saturday, 18th November 2017.
WFP is capable of producing 200 tonnes of
margarine per day at full capacity. The products, which are
Halal-certified by the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB) are
intended to serve the growing global market demand for quality Halal
food products.
His
Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and
Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, briefed by Dr Zeki Ziya
Sozen, Director of WFP during a tour of the plant
The management building and cold warehouse
WFP is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Marsa and its shareholders include Yildiz Holding,
one of Turkey’s leading food conglomerates, as majority owner and the
Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei
Darussalam through the Strategic Development Capital (SDC) Fund under
the Ministry of Finance.
72 locals are
currently employed at WFP which represents 96% of the company’s total
work force. WFP is also looking into downstream opportunities for its
products which can be used as ingredients to make biscuits, chocolates,
pastries and ice cream. The plant by-products can also be used as
chicken feed and to make soap and detergent. WFP’s products will also be
the first margarine and edible oil products to be exported from Brunei
Darussalam.
The latest
joint-venture project will help spur the country’s economic growth in
sectors outside oil and gas and create more job opportunities for the
locals. With its modern factory and state-of-the-art technology, the
plant has the capacity to double its production to cater for the export
markets.
For the
production of margarine, the main raw material which is palm oil, has to
be imported while the finished product will be mainly exported to the
Asian region and beyond.
Some of the local employees of WFP
For Brunei Darussalam, the establishment of the plant is a
significant development as it will open up many possibilities and
support many other businesses and trade. WFP is also looking into
downstream opportunities for its products which can be used as
ingredients to make biscuits, chocolates, pastries and ice cream. Its
by-products can also be used as chicken feed and to make soaps and
detergents.
Marsa
has been one of Turkey’s pioneers of food production since 1926. While
the products were initially produced for local consumption, the company
began exporting in 1969. Today the company also produces shortening,
sunflower oil, olive oil, ghee, pasta, flour, powder soup, desserts and
semolina. Its products have been exported to more than 65 countries
spanning five continents. The company aims to strengthen its stand in
the world markets through its advanced production technology,
world-standard quality and new products.
Ministry of Finance