Brunei faces ageing population by 2030

Photo shows a member of the public registering for the Brunei Darussalam Healthcare
Information and Management System (BRU-HIMS) at the Suri Seri Begawan Hospital in 2012.
A UNDP report urged Brunei to create jobs, channel savings into investments and encourage
more female participation as the country moves toward an ageing population in 2030.

Darren Chin
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE United Nations has urged Brunei to create jobs, channel savings into investments and encourage more female participation as the sultanate moves toward an ageing population in 2030.

In the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Asia-Pacific Regional Human Development Report 2016 released earlier this week, Brunei was placed “in the middle of transition” bracket when it came to population demographics.

The report said Brunei, as part of Southeast Asia, will continue to see a large jump in the working-age population until 2030, after which the increase will slowly dissipate and move towards an ageing population as currently seen in countries such as Japan, China and Singapore.

The UN said Brunei needs to take action to make the most of the opportunity for growth in the changing population demographic.

“The region of Southeast Asia as a whole is expected to increase its working-age population by 10 per cent between 2015 and 2030, but only 0.4 per cent between 2030 and 2050,” it said.

“Countries will need to provide enough decent work, stimulate and manage their economies so that growth is inclusive, aligned with human development, expand the scope for savings and ensure people have capabilities, opportunities and freedoms to progress their lives,” it said.

The UN report called for the prioritising of job creation to maximise the outcome of the shift in demographics for countries in the middle bracket such as Brunei headed for an ageing population.

“The time has come to make job creation central to national development strategies, with a strong emphasis on protecting workers’ rights and policy measures to encourage small and medium enterprises.

“Structural transformation of the economy is also needed, to more productive activities, which would open new opportunities for people to find better work and prepare for the time when fewer numbers of workers will be needed to produce more to sustain development for an ageing population,” it added.

Latest statistics from the Department of Economic Planning and Development show that the population currently stands at 411,900 with males making up 51.8 per cent of the population.

The working-age population, citizens aged 15 to 59, make up 69.1 per cent of the population while children under 14 years old and senior citizens above the age of 60 account for 24.1 and 6.8 per cent of the population, respectively.

Statistics in the report projected that Brunei’s population will be around 500,000 people by 2030.

The UN report also advised Brunei as a country in the midst of a demographic transition to prepare for the financial requirements of sustaining development in the future.

“There is a need to widen the availability of financial instruments for investing in savings and one important avenue could be developing bond markets which are potentially a valuable source of income for municipalities aiming to keep up with rapid urbanisation and infrastructure expansion,” it said.

The report also called for action to ensure women are equal contributors to development as the demographic shifts towards an advanced stage when the population is evenly distributed across age groups. “Many women are spending disproportionate time on domestic caregiving, undercutting opportunities to generate an income and policies designed to ensure equal pay, rights for women, work and public safety will be critical for fully realising demographic dividends.

“Women also need to be full participants in political and economic decision-making, otherwise there will be a lower likelihood that policies and plans will fully support their capabilities and contributions to development,” the UN Development Programme added.

Statistics in the report show that Bruneian men currently earn nearly twice as much gross national income per capita ($121,353) than their female counterparts ($72,766).


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Tekad basmi kemiskinan

Menteri Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan, Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja
Mejar Jeneral (B) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof

Oleh Imelda Groves HA & Syahmi Hassan

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 16 Mac – Kementerian Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan akan meningkatkan pemantauan penerima Bantuan Kebajikan Bulanan (BKB) seterusnya mengenal pasti garis panduan pemberian bantuan kebangsaan dengan menggunakan kadar kos minima keperluan asas.

Menteri Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan berkata, garis panduan itu akan diguna pakai sebagai sukat-sukat bagi pemberian apa jua bantuan dan penyejajaran dasar serta prosedur yang diguna pakai bagi agensi seperti Majlis Ugama Islam Brunei (MUIB) Kementerian Pendidikan, Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (Yayasan), Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri dan Kementerian Kesihatan.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Mejar Jeneral (B) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof seterusnya menjelaskan, program bantuan kebangsaan baru akan dirangka menggunakan garis panduan yang dipersetujui itu dengan mengadakan dua program bantuan berasingan iaitu program bantuan bagi mereka yang benar-benar tidak dapat bekerja atau mencari pekerjaan seperti orang kurang upaya, uzur, tua dan mereka yang berisiko terjerumus kepada kemiskinan, seperti penjaga kepada orang-orang kurang upaya dan lain-lain.

Kedua ialah program insentif pekerjaan yang memberi fokus kepada golongan yang tidak mempunyai pendapatan yang mencukupi untuk menyara kehidupan harian dan persekolahan anak-anak, melalui pemberian insentif agar mereka akan dapat terus bekerja, tambah Yang Berhormat Pehin lagi semasa Majlis Mesyuarat Negara yang bersidang buat hari kesembilan, hari ini.

Yang Berhormat Pehin menekankan perkara ini ketika menjelaskan pembaharuan-pembaharuan yang dirancang oleh Majlis Kebangsaan Isu-isu Sosial yang dipengerusikan Kementerian Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan, untuk meningkatkan keberkesanan tindakan bagi mengatasi dan membantu warga yang mudah atau terdedah risiko-risiko kemiskinan atau masalah sosial untuk keluar daripada kepompong kesusahan dan juga kemiskinan.

Menjawab persoalan yang dibangkitkan oleh Yang Berhormat Datin Paduka Hajah Salbiah binti Haji Sulaiman, Yang Berhormat Pehin berkata, pihak kementerian juga akan memberikan fokus kepada 100 orang penerima BKB.

Menurutnya, permasalahan mereka akan diambil tindakan secara bersepadu oleh semua jawatankuasa khas untuk dikeluarkan daripada kepompong kemiskinan dengan kaedah-kaedah yang sesuai.

Selain itu, pihak kementerian turut merancang mengadakan sumber kewangan yang lebih berdaya tahan untuk membiayai program-program bantuan melalui pelan tindakan yang berkaitan ke arah menangani isu kemiskinan dalam beberapa buah jawatankuasa khas diterajui oleh kementeriannya.

“Misalnya jawatankuasa khas isu kemiskinan dan jawatankuasa khas institusi keluarga dan isu wanita hendaklah dipastikan tindakan-tindakan yang dinyatakan dalam pelan tersebut akan dikemaskinikan lagi ke arah memastikan keberkesanan pelaksanaannya.”

Katanya lagi, dalam membantu mereka yang kurang bernasib baik, program yang diungkayahkan pada tahun-tahun sebelumnya juga diteruskan pada tahun ini dan seterusnya dengan hala tuju program ini ke arah meningkatkan penyertaan para belia terutamanya kumpulan sasaran program.

Dalam pada itu, Yang Berhormat Pehin menekankan bahawa kementeriannya juga menghadapi cabaran dalam memastikan sejauh mana bantuan kebajikan akan dapat diberikan secara lebih berdaya tahan memandangkan terdapatnya peningkatan jumlah penerima bantuan dari semasa ke semasa.

Daripada beberapa permuzakarahan dengan pelbagai pihak, cabaran utama yang dikenal pasti dalam menangani isu kemiskinan serta cabaran dalam mengungkayahkan apa saja program-program pembasmian kemiskinan ialah mentaliti masyarakat yang masih bergantung sepenuhnya kepada bantuan kerajaan.

“Sehubungan dengan ini juga, koala mengalu-alukan pandangan dan pemikiran dari ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat mengenai kaedah yang lebih berkesan bagi mengubah mentaliti khususnya penerima-penerima BKB atau bantuan kebajikan bulanan ini.”

Yang Berhormat Pehin turut melahirkan harapan, dengan adanya garis panduan dalam program baru bantuan kebangsaan ini nanti akan lebih fokus untuk membantu golongan atau kumpulan yang benar-benar perlu dibantu dari segi kewangan dan juga akan diberikan latihan dan program kemahiran dan pekerjaan.

“Diharapkan jua program seumpama ini akan mengurangkan budaya terlalu suka bergantung kepada kerajaan di kalangan masyarakat, sekali gus menggalakkan budaya berdikari,” tambahnya lagi.


Sumber - Media Permata

Menteri jelas perkiraan bantuan zakat

Oleh Syahmi Hassan & Imelda Groves HA

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 16 Mac – Mengikut perkiraan Jabatan Perancang Kemajuan Ekonomi (JPKE), Haddul Kifayah iaitu had minima perbelanjaan bagi keperluan asasi seseorang adalah sebanyak $253 sebulan bagi seorang.

Menteri Hal Ehwal Ugama, Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman (gambar) berkata, had berkenaan masih terpakai sampai sekarang bagi Majlis Ugama Islam Brunei (MUIB).

“Jika pendapatan bulanan seseorang berjumlah $1,000 dengan anggota keluarganya seramai lima orang termasuk dirinya, maka $1,000 itu dibahagi kepada lima, jumlahnya adalah $200, maka ia di bawah daripada $253, orang itu dan keluarganya adalah tergolong dalam kategori miskin.

“Manakala fakir ialah orang yang tidak mempunyai apa-apa kecukupan pada hariannya pada satu hari untuk belanjanya yang tidak mempunyai barang untuk dijualnya bagi mencukupkan keperluannya, ertinya fakir.

“Had minima itu perlu difahamkan, ia digunakan bagi perkiraan menentukan kadar agihan zakat kepada fakir dan miskin. Ia diguna pakai pada masa ini dengan penerima-penerima daripada kalangan asnaf fakir dan miskin berserta tanggungannya menerima pemberian selama 12 bulan, 24, 36, ataupun 60 bulan, setahun, dua tahun, tiga tahun dan lima tahun.

MENTERI Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri, Yang Berhormat, Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka
Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Othman

“Berdasarkan dengan perkiraan ini, maka bermakna penerima-penerima itu sudah cukup untuk perbelanjaan asasinya,” jelas Yang Berhormat Pehin lagi.

Yang Berhormat Pehin menjelaskan demikian sebagai menjawab pertanyaan Yang Berhormat Haji Sulaiman bin Haji Ahad, semasa sesi soal jawab persidangan Majlis Mesyuarat Negara hari ini.

Yang Berhormat Haji Sulaiman yang juga Ketua Kampung Belingus, Mukim Bangar, Daerah Temburong, bertanya mengenai perkembangan pengagihan zakat kepada golongan asnaf fakir dan miskin.

Menteri Hal Ehwal Ugama seterusnya menjelaskan bahawa sebahagian mereka yang memerlukan perumahan pun juga telah disewakan rumah yang bayarannya antara $350 hingga $500 sebulan. Hal ini menepati tujuan syarak yang mewajibkan zakat itu dibayar, dikutip, dikumpul dan diagih-agihkan kepada yang berhak supaya mereka yang berhak itu dan kalangan fakir miskin tidak perlu keluar meminta-minta dan mengemis.

Mengenai program-program bantuan kepada golongan miskin, Yang Berhormat Pehin berkata, selama ini memang program-program sedemikian seperti bantuan modal berniaga, bantuan mesin jahit umpamanya untuk mengambil upah menjahit, bantuan peralatan seperti pukat dan perahu bermotor untuk menangkap ikan dan usaha pengangkutan perahu tambang.

Ia bagi memungkinkan para asnaf zakat pada akhirnya tidak lagi bergantung kepada agihan zakat.

Di samping itu ada juga bantuan bayaran yuran sekolah atau bayaran belajar di pusat-pusat pengajian tinggi bagi asnaf yang bukan rakyat iaitu penduduk tetap. Kesemua itu adalah dalam usaha untuk mengupayakan mereka untuk berdikari pada akhirnya.


Sumber - Media Permata

Punca kemiskinan dikenal pasti

Oleh Yusrin Junaidi

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 16 Mac – Satu jawatankuasa kecil yang ditubuhkan di bawah Majlis Kebangsaan Isu-Isu Sosial telah mengenal pasti beberapa punca kemiskinan, antaranya kelulusan pendidikan rendah yang menyebabkan gaji diterima rendah dan jumlah tanggungan ramai yang menyebabkan gaji diterima tidak mencukupi.

Menteri Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan berkata, usaha untuk mengatasi isu-isu ini adalah memang kompleks dan memerlukan strategi yang komprehensif dan meluas, yang menurutnya, Majlis Kebangsaan Isu-Isu Sosial dan jawatankuasa khas mengatasi kemiskinan memahami akan keperluan untuk melaksanakan strategi yang meluas termasuk daripada aspek pendidikan, latihan, kesedaran dan sebagainya.

Oleh itu, ujar Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Mejar Jeneral (B) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, satu pelan tindakan telah diluluskan yang menggariskan beberapa usaha yang perlu dilaksanakan, iaitu pendidikan, kesihatan, pekerjaan, latihan, perumahan, keusahawanan, kewangan dan dasar-dasar perundangan.

Mengulas lanjut mengenai perkara ini pada sesi petang hari kesembilan Mesyuarat Pertama bagi Musim Permesyuaratan ke-12 Majlis Mesyuarat Negara, hari ini, Yang Berhormat Pehin berkata, sebagai misalan, satu langkah yang penting perlu dilaksanakan segera, adalah untuk meningkatkan kepentingan pendidikan dan mendapatkan kelulusan setingginya dan juga kesedaran mengenai isu bijak berbelanja.

Tambahnya lagi, antara perkembangan terkini yang dilaksanakan melalui jawatankuasa khas berkenaan adalah, mengadakan taklimat celik kewangan bagi penerima-penerima bantuan kebajikan bulanan yang mesti dihadiri sebelum menerima bantuan kebajikan bulanan daripada JAPEM.

Taklimat ini adalah dilaksanakan dengan kerjasama Autoriti Monetori Brunei Darussalam, Tabung Amanah Pekerja, Agensi Pekerjaan Tempatan dan Pembangunan Tenaga Kerja, di bawah Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri, pusat perbankan dan Kewangan Pengurusan Islam.

Kedua, ujarnya lagi, meneliti semula pelan tindakan membasmi kemiskinan dengan bekerjasama unit penggerak, Jabatan Perdana Menteri. Di samping itu, pelbagai pihak berkenaan seperti Kementerian Pendidikan, Kementerian Kewangan dan agensi-agensi lain yang berkenaan juga sedang giat melaksanakan program-program yang bertujuan mengatasi isu kemiskinan.

Kejayaan program ini, katanya, mencapai matlamat ke arah membasmi kemiskinan akan hanya dilihat dalam jangka masa yang panjang.


Sumber - Media Permata

Rising income inequality in Asia worrying: IMF chief

Sohel Parvez
New Delhi

ASIA’s economy has grown by about 6.0 per cent a year over the last 25 years but the rising income inequality has raised concerns about inclusive growth.

To distribute the dividends of increased prosperity, experts at a high-level conference in New Delhi on Saturday emphasised efforts to ensure access for the poor to education, health and finance.

“Asia has done a lot, and yet, there is still a lot to do,” said Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, at the launch of a three-day conference: “Advancing Asia: Investing for the Future”.

The IMF and the Indian government hosted the conference at Taj Palace in the Indian capital, attended by senior officials, corporate executives, academics and civil society representatives from more than 30 Asian countries.

Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, delivered the keynote speech in the opening session, where an initiative to establish the South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Centre or SARTTAC was unveiled.

India along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the IMF have agreed to set up the centre, which will help enhance skills and the capacity of public sector officials.

In her speech, Lagarde lauded Asia’s economic progress and advancement in various areas including poverty reduction and improvement in the living standards.

Asia is the world’s most dynamic region and today accounts for 40 per cent of the global economy, she said.

Over the next four years, even with slightly declining momentum, it stands to deliver nearly two-thirds of global growth.

Despite the progress, income inequality has crept up in 15 of the 22 Asian economies, Lagarde said, referring to a recent IMF working paper.

Asia remains home to two-thirds of the world’s poor, many of whom live in India. In most of the region, women and youth are still greatly underrepresented in the labour market.

However, these concerns can be opportunities, Lagarde said.

“What if income inequality could be reversed, poverty further reduced, and women and young people economically empowered? What if growth could be made more inclusive and sustainable? What if Asia’s 4.4 billion people could each realise their full potential?”

“We can imagine the possibilities. The question is how to realise them,” she said, while suggesting for broadening access to services like health and finance, and targeting social spending on the neediest.

Lagarde also stressed empowering women by enhancing girls’ access to high-quality education and dismantling legal and logistical barriers to economic participation.

With more than 800 million people in Asia lacking access to water, sanitation and electricity, inclusive growth means more investment in infrastructure – and making that investment more efficient. The IMF MD also suggested greater trade integration for more sustained growth, especially for India and other countries in South Asia.

“Multilateral trade liberalisation has the potential to be globally welfare-enhancing. If, however, progress at that level remains slow, comprehensive regional trade agreements can help to lower tariff and non-tariff barriers and incorporate new areas like services.”

Lagarde also called for policymakers of the region to respond to the challenges the global economy faces.

She recommended supportive monetary policy and growth-friendly fiscal measures to safeguard financial stability, and above all, structural reforms to boost competitiveness, growth and jobs.

Successfully dealing with these kinds of structural issues will not only support Asia’s near- and medium-term prospects but also secure the foundations on which to unlock the region's exciting future potential, Lagarde added.

In his speech, Indian Premier Modi said his dream is of a Transformed India.

“I lay this dream alongside our common dream of an Advanced Asia – an Asia where more than half of the global population can live with happiness and fulfilment.”

“Our joint heritage and mutual respect, our common goals and similar policies, can and must create sustainable growth and shared prosperity.”

He said many knowledgeable people have said the 21st century is, and will be, the Asian century.

Asia, where three out of every five people in the world live, is distinct in many ways, according to the Indian prime minister.

“Asian families tend naturally to save more than people in other parts of the world. Thus, they invest for the future,” he said, while referring to the theme of the conference.

Social stability built on strong family values is another feature of Asia’s development.

Asians tend to leave things behind for the next generation, he said, adding that economists have commended on the saving ethic of Asian countries.

For instance, Asians tend to save to buy a house, rather than borrow to buy a house, he said.

Modi also touched upon the issue of reform of global institutions.

Reforms of global institutions have to be an ongoing process and must reflect the changes in the global economy and the rising share of emerging economies.

“Even now, the IMF quotas do not reflect the global economic realities. Change in quotas is not an issue of increasing the power of certain countries. It is an issue of fairness and legitimacy. The belief that quotas can be changed, is essential for the fairness of the system.”

For poor nations to respect the legitimacy of such institutions, they must be able to aspire and to hope, he said, adding that he was happy that the IMF has decided to finalise the next round of quota changes by October 2017.

At another session, Melinda Gates of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said empowering women is the smart thing to do.

She also advised on investing in the health sector as one dollar of investment in health gives returns of US$9.

Establishment of SARTTAC

The centre, which will be based in the Indian capital, will provide training to government and public sector employees.

It will enhance their skills and improve the quality of their policy inputs. It will also provide technical assistance to governments and public institutions,” said Modi.

“This will be the first centre that fully integrates training and technical assistance and is a model for our future capacity development work,” Lagarde said.

It is expected to become the focal point for planning, coordinating and implementing the IMF’s capacity development activities in the region on a wide range of areas, including macroeconomic and fiscal management, monetary operations, financial sector regulation and supervision and macroeconomic statistics.

The centre will also help address the existing training needs and respond to the demands for IMF training in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

“It is the beginning of a good initiative. We will be the beneficiaries of the centre,” said Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman, who was present at the programme.

The centre will offer courses and seminars for policymakers and other government agencies from the six countries, according to the IMF.

It will build upon the IMF’s experience with capacity development by drawing on the experiences of the IMF’s Regional Technical Assistance Centres and Regional Training Centres, which have a proven track record of delivering technical assistance on economic institution building.

Funding will come from contributions by regional member countries and development partners.

The Australian Agency for International Development, the Republic of Korea and India pledged financial support for the centre, it added.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Minimum wage issue remains on back burner

BT Reporters
Brunei-Muara

MINIMUM wage seems to be a touchy subject among the public with both government and private sector institutions opting to put it aside rather than deal with it once and for all.

The subject cropped up way back in 2010, changed hands over two ministers and six years later, none seem to be the wiser on this subject.

In April 2015, the Department of Labour said there is no specific law governing minimum wage in Brunei that applies to local or foreign workers, and wages are normally set by mutual agreement (offer and acceptance) between employers and employees.

Meanwhile, Rozan Yunos in his blog The Daily Brunei Resources said that relations between employers and employees in Brunei are generally good with labour disputes being rare, despite there being no minimum wage legislation.

It was previously reported that in the private sector, the most common argument against having a minimum wage is that it might to impede business growth, especially among small enterprises.

A local restaurateur (who wished to remain anonymous) said that costs for him would increase, if his employees qualified for a minimum wage.

“As a small business that does not make much, I would have three choices.

“One, to downsize my business and move to a smaller place; two, to increase my prices; and if increasing prices pushed customers away, my other option would be to close down,” the restaurateur said.

Hazeerah Hj Othman, a private school teacher, said that the development of the country had to be considered, when discussing minimum wage.

“The economic implications could be serious, and the government has to decide if it is willing to bear these implications. If a minimum wage is set at a point where businesses do not see a viable profit because of higher employment costs, they will not invest,” she said.

Hazeerah said all businesses would be more than likely to adapt and push costs onto consumers with higher prices if minimum wage is in place.

“So in this way, society is still affected as a whole,” she said.

To paint a better picture of earnings within the private sector, The Brunei Times interviewed an array of low-income earners — both local and foreign.

A security guard from J-Guard security services company said he and his colleagues were currently earning $500 a month for eight-hour work shifts.

Sometimes, they would work overtime for extra money, which is about two dollars an hour, he said.

“For those who are still single and have no family to support, what we currently earn is fine, and reasonable but for those with families to support, it is not enough.

“They have to pay for the car, fuel, food and clothing for their families and themselves, among other things, so $500 a month is simply not enough for a family breadwinner,” he said.

Bibi, who is an employee at a supermarket in Gadong, said that her monthly pay of $433 was spent primarily on paying for her car and petrol, as well as food.

Although she stays at her parents' house and does not have to spend any of her monthly income on housing expenses, the sales assistant said she still does not have anything left to save at the end of each month.

On the foreign labour side, an Indonesian maid who just wants to be identified as Nurbaya, said that although she likes her job here and her employer is kind, she may not renew her contract in June. She requested for an increase under the new contract for the next two years, but her employer has yet to give a response.

Under her first contract from 2011 to 2013 she received a monthly payment of $280. The employer then raised it to $320 in her second contract. As per her own request, she said, she only collects her salaries every five or six month from her employer. To give example, every five month she will ask for $1,000 or so and sends the money home.

“I don’t send the money every month because I want to save the money used for transaction fee which is required in every time we use the remittance services,” she said.

An Indonesian national labourer at a newly-constructed school said his current daily wage of $18 is just enough for him but would not be enough for a married man.

The 25-year-old spends almost half of his monthly income to support his family in Indonesia while he spends the leftovers for his needs, such as food and toiletries.

He believes local construction workers will struggle if they are working in the construction industry as they will have more responsibilities in the country.

“Minimum wage is important for the locals here because they will have families and other responsibilities so they will need more income, especially for their hard work in supporting their families,” he said.

The necessity for a minimum wage is not really felt in the public sector as its salary packages are set on a pay grade but within the private sector, a defined salary scale could possibly attract more locals to the fore.

In 2014 the Home Affairs ministry’s introduced the ‘Fair package’ paper which addresses the low wages of local employees and differences in benefits packages for local and foreign staff, proposes to balance out the differences.

It was said that local private sector employees will be able to earn and enjoy the same benefits that their foreign counterparts get if stakeholders and employers adapt the paper. To date, very little has been made public to that effect.


Sumber - The Brunei Times