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The hotels and restaurants sector expressed optimism for better performance from staycations during the school holiday and the rental of function halls for year-end events, the Brunei Darussalam’s Business Sentiment Index (BSI) for December 2023 published by Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB) stated yesterday. The monthly index is designed to measure the level of business confidence/sentiment in the country, covering various aspects, including current and future business conditions, investments, employment of workers, as well as costs of running businesses. The BSI and sub-indices can be interpreted as below: BSI value above 50 can be interpreted as expansion/optimism compared to the previous month; 50 as similar/no change compared to the previous month; and below 50 as contraction/less optimism compared to the previous month. There are nine sub-indices within the BSI. The main headline index, which is the Current Business Conditions sub-index, was 50.0 in December 2023, indicating similar expectations as November 2023 – although sentiments were somewhat mixed across sectors. Many businesses shared concerns about slower business activities with more consumers travelling abroad and many employees taking leave during the holiday period. The index for one month (1M) ahead stood at 50.5, indicating that businesses generally expected better conditions in January 2024 than in December 2023. While most of the optimism was attributed to an anticipated yearly trend of increased business activities, other factors such as the resumption of domestic spending, the start of the school term and festivities such as the Royal Wedding and Chinese New Year were expected to further boost business performance in January 2024. ![](https://media.everythingbrunei.com/public/qFdmJfZT66-0Cs6kxNkbw-FOpU2LAl9Q75Bp3LHazkb.jpeg) PHOTO: FREEPIK The investment sub-index was 50.1 for the current month, 50.0 for 1M ahead, and 50.1 for three months (3M) ahead. This indicates that, in general, businesses are expected to slightly increase their investment expenditures in December 2023 and maintain this level of investment in January 2024. These expenditures will encompass office and store renovations, and the procurement of materials, equipment and machinery related to upcoming projects. Looking ahead, businesses are expected to increase their investment expenditures, which include expanding their business premises and stocking up their inventories in preparation for the fasting month and Hari Raya Aidilfitri festivities. The employment sub-index was 50.4 for the current month, and 50.6 for 1M ahead. In general, businesses planned to increase their employee headcount for December 2023 and January 2024. The costs sub-index was 49.7 for the current month and 50.1 for 1M ahead. Although businesses, in general, expected the costs of running their businesses to increase in December 2023, the Oil and Gas related sector drove the overall costs sub-index lower due to cheaper raw materials. For the month ahead, companies are expected to face slightly higher operating costs. This is due to factors including repair and maintenance works, purchase of raw materials, marketing and event-related expenses. Some businesses also shared expectations of increased overall labour costs from new recruitments, yearly increments for some employees, and bonus payouts. In terms of economic sectors, three out of 11 sectors recorded optimism in their business conditions in December 2023. The Transport and Communication sector recorded the highest optimism with an index of 50.8, attributed to higher demand for their products and services due to seasonal trends and peak travel season. The finance and insurance sector also felt optimistic with expectations of increased business activities towards the year-end. On the other hand, five sectors showed pessimism for December 2023. Both the Health and Education sector and the Construction sector expected a contraction, with the lowest index of 49.6 due to reduced demand for services and a lack of projects. The real estate and ownership of dwellings sector expected slower business conditions compared to the previous month due to some tenants terminating their lease. The agriculture, forestry, fisheries and livestock sector cited several reasons for their pessimism, including weaker consumer demand as consumers travel abroad and worsening weather conditions resulting in lower production. The Wholesale and Retail Trade sector; the Oil and Gas related sector; and the manufacturing sector reported similar business conditions to November 2023. In terms of the index by business size, only large-sized companies reported expectations of slightly better business conditions in December 2023 compared to the previous month. This is due to seasonal factors, higher demand for services for certain sectors, and year-end promotions, including back-to-school sales. On the other hand, micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses generally reported pessimism with expectations of slower business conditions due to lower domestic sales during the peak travel season.

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