‘15 per cent of Temburong residents receive monetary assistance’

Khai Zem Mat Sani 
TEMBURONG 

ABOUT 15 per cent of the Temburong population is currently receiving monetary assistance from the government said the penghulu for mukim Bangar yesterday.

Hj Abdul Rahman Merusin told The Brunei Times that nearly 1,500 out of 10,000 people in the district are underprivileged people who are in need of help.

“The percentage is based on the ratio of people who receive assistance in every village in the district. This is also based on reports shared by village heads and penghulus,” he said.

“More than 20 single mothers and 60 senior citizens receive old age pension allowance in Mukim Bangar. Some of the single mothers and senior citizen are also receiving other monetary assistance from the Department of Community Development (JAPEM) or the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB).”

Hj Abdul Rahman noted that Mukim Bangar comprises four villages, Kg Menengah, Kg Belingus, Kg Batang Tuau and Kg Puni dan Hujung Jalan.

“For single mothers, even though they receive monthly monetary assistance, some claim the assistance is not enough as their children and grandchildren are dependant on them,” said the penghulu.

He also said about the application process for the monetary assistance from the authority.

“Families in Temburong who are struggling financially should come forward and discuss their problems with their village heads so that they can help them,” said the penghulu.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Brunei, US eye defence partnership

Rabiatul Kamit
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

BRUNEI and the United States are eyeing a state partnership programme (SPP) that would link the sultanate’s military with the American National Guard in a move to boost security cooperation.

Major General Mark Dillon, commander of the US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), said Brunei expressed interest in joining the programme as both sides seek closer engagement towards addressing security challenges in line with Washington’s rebalance in Asia.

“We’re working on trying to facilitate that as partnerships are vitally important to us,” he said in a recent briefing at the PACAF Headquarters in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.

It is unclear how soon Brunei will be involved in the SPP, but the commander said ASEAN member states Malaysia and Laos were also keen to participate.

Over 70 partnerships have been developed worldwide including Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

“PACAF are very interested in bolstering our defence ties with the militaries of ASEAN nations. We would like to see our relationship with ASEAN continue to grow,” said Major Dillon.

Highlighting ASEAN’s strategic importance to American and PACAF interests, he said the 10-nation bloc is central to US foreign policy as member states play a critical role in establishing a rules-based order in the region.

The commander pointed out the SPP, managed by the National Guard, is one of the US Department of Defense’s initiatives to strengthen joint security cooperation globally.

On its website, the National Guard said the SPP “builds enduring personal and institutional relationships through consistent engagement, offering an expandable engagement approach including senior leader visits and co-deployments”.

Under the programme, guard members work with partner militaries to strengthen shared defences through capacity building activities. Typical SPP activities range from disaster preparedness and crisis management to aviation logistics, maintenance and safety as well as defence reform and military modernisation.

Dillon estimated that PACAF takes part in about 200 partner engagements annually. “Those range from small subject matter (and) expert exchanges involving a handful of airmen up to large-scale exercises of between 10,000 to 20,000 airmen from different countries.”


Sumber - The Brunei Times

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

$564 juta untuk pertahanan

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 9 Mac – Belanjawan Kementerian Pertahanan bagi tahun kewangan 2016-2017 berjumlah $564,650,540 dengan tumpuan memastikan kedaulatan dan keselamatan yang dinikmati selama ini akan kekal terjamin melalui pengurusan pertahanan yang dinamik dengan mengambil kira pelbagai elemen dan langkah-langkah utama seperti perkembangan sains dan teknologi, mengurangkan dokumentasi, perkongsian sumber yang ada, mencekapkan proses Kementerian Pertahanan dan Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei serta mengukuhkan keupayaan pertahanan selari dengan perkembangan semasa.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Kewangan II, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim ketika membentangkan mukadimah Kementerian Pertahanan pada sesi petang Mesyuarat Pertama bagi Musim Permesyuaratan ke-12 Majlis Mesyuarat Negara yang berlangsung hari ini menjelaskan, tumpuan kedua ialah meningkatkan keupayaan ketenteraan yang meliputi alat kelengkapan ketenteraan, mobiliti dan pengangkutan, institusi-institusi latihan yang masih diteruskan dan diambil perhatian bagi memastikan di tahap yang tinggi.

Menurut beliau, Kementerian Pertahanan juga akan mengambil peranan penting ke arah usaha mencapai Wawasan Negara 2035 iaitu membentuk satu strategi keselamatan yang robust untuk memelihara kestabilan dan kedaulatan negara.

Secara ringkas, katanya peruntukan Kementerian Pertahanan bagi gaji kakitangan ialah sebanyak $330,626,780 iaitu penurunan sebanyak 1.6 peratus berbanding tahun kewangan lalu.

Perbelanjaan berulang-ulang diperuntukkan sebanyak $139,433,520 iaitu penurunan sebanyak 17.7 peratus manakala perbelanjaan khas disediakan sebanyak $94,590,240 bagi membiayai 12 projek baru berjumlah $24,208,000 dan 19 projek pengambilan semula berjumlah $70,382,240 yang termasuk peruntukan bagi projek peningkatan keupayaan Kementerian Pertahanan yang sebelum ini diletakkan di bawah Kementerian Kewangan.

Yang Berhormat Pehin menambah kata, fokus Kementerian Pertahanan seterusnya ialah Dokumen Kertas Putih Pertahanan 2011 dan Perancangan Strategik Pertahanan 2012 serta Hala Tuju Dasar yang digariskan bagi strategik keselamatan negara terus menjadi panduan dalam perancangan perkembangan Kementerian Pertahanan dan (ABDB) bagi melaksanakan dengan berkesan misi pertahanan, iaitu bagi mempertahankan kedaulatan, keutuhan wilayah dan mendukung perlembagaan dan Falsafah Melayu Islam Beraja.

“Fokus keempat ialah langkah-langkah diplomasi pertahanan telah meningkatkan sumbangan negara dalam keselamatan serantau dan dunia seterusnya mewujudkan persekitaran keselamatan yang kondusif bagi memastikan keamanan akan terus terjamin,” kata beliau.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Haji Abdul Rahman berkata, ini termasuk penglibatan negara secara aktif dalam inisiatif-inisiatif membina keyakinan, kerjasama pertahanan serta misi-misi pengaman dan bantuan kemanusiaan yang dipikul oleh negara ini.

Pembinaan kapasiti dan pembangunan keupayaan akan dijuruskan kepada pelaksanaan berkesan empat keutamaan operasional bagi misi pertahanan iaitu meningkatkan diplomasi pertahanan, memastikan tahap kesediaan dan siap siaga yang tinggi, mengukuhkan hubungan dengan agensi keselamatan tempatan dan meningkatkan perlindungan kepentingan-kepentingan dalam lingkungan wilayah negara.


Sumber - Media Permata

Lebih 10,000 masih menganggur

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 9 Mac – Sehingga bulan Januari 2016, bilangan pencari kerja dalam kalangan penduduk tempatan (rakyat dan penduduk tetap) berumur 18 hingga 59 tahun, ialah seramai 10,714 orang.

Jabatan Perancangan dan Kemajuan Ekonomi (JPKE) dalam satu kenyataan di sini hari ini berkata, petunjuk pasaran tenaga kerja bagi Januari 2016 mendapati bilangan pencarum baru yang berdaftar di Tabung Amanah Pekerja (TAP) ialah seramai 558 orang, terdiri daripada 108 orang yang bekerja di sektor kerajaan dan 450 orang di sektor swasta.

Secara keseluruhan, jumlah pencarum yang baru berdaftar di TAP dari bulan Januari 2015 hingga Januari 2016 ialah seramai 7,358 orang.

Seramai 414 orang baru mendaftar sebagai pencari kerja di Agensi Pekerjaan Tempatan dan Pembangunan Tenaga Kerja (APTK), Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri.

Menurut JPKE, Pihak kerajaan telah melaksanakan beberapa inisiatif bagi meningkatkan penyertaan anak-anak tempatan dalam pasaran kerja di negara ini khususnya di sektor swasta, melalui dua pendekatan.

Pendekatan tersebut ialah meningkatkan tahap pengetahuan dan kemahiran anak tempatan lepasan peringkat ‘O’ dan ‘A’ dengan memberikan biasiswa atau latihan seperti Skim Biasiswa Khas, Skim Biasiswa Pendidikan Teknikal dan Vokasional di Institusi Pengajian Swasta Dalam Negeri (BPTV), Skim Biasiswa Pendidikan Teknikal dan Vokasional bagi Program Energy Industry Competency Framework (BPTV-EICF),dan Skim Latihan dan Pekerjaan (SLP).

Serta memberikan lebih banyak peluang-peluang pekerjaan kepada anak tempatan melalui pengurangan kuota pengambilan pekerja asing yang berkemahiran rendah

Sebarang pertanyaan mengenai Perangkaan Pencari Kerja Tempatan ini bolehlah menghubungi talian 2230250 atau 2233344 atau melayari laman web www.depd.gov.bn.


Sumber - Media Permata

Bajet $5.6B

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 8 Mac – Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM) dan Menteri Kewangan II, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim, hari ini, telah membentangkan cadangan Belanjawan Negara bagi Tahun Kewangan 2016/2017 berjumlah $5,600,000,000 atau $5.6 bilion bagi mendukung empat fokus utama iaitu memudah cara perniagaan, meningkatkan produktiviti negara, membina kapasiti dan modul insan, serta memelihara kesejahteraan awam.

Anggaran ini mengambil kira akan keupayaan kewangan kerajaan berdasarkan unjuran hasil pendapatan kerajaan bagi tahun kewangan berkenaan, dan keperluan bagi kerajaan untuk membiayai keperluan-keperluan perbelanjaan operasi, serta mendukung pelaksanaan projek-projek yang selaras dengan fokus perbelanjaan yang ditetapkan.

Yang Berhormat Pehin berkata, pada hakikatnya, jumlah perbelanjaan yang dicadangkan ini adalah lebih tinggi berbanding Anggaran Hasil Kerajaan bagi Tahun Kewangan 2016/2017 yang berjumlah $1,764,930,000 berdasarkan prospek ekonomi global dan negara, terutamanya pasaran minyak global yang tidak menentu pada masa ini.

Ini bermakna kedudukan fiskal kerajaan dijangka akan terus mengalami defisit belanjawan, oleh yang demikian, setiap kementerian dan agensi kerajaan diperingatkan untuk memberikan kerjasama penuh dan menyejajarkan usaha pada mengawal perbelanjaan kerajaan berasaskan keutamaan atau priority spending.

Langkah ini, jelas beliau, juga bertujuan untuk membantu pihak kerajaan mengawal keperluan pengeluaran dari dana-dana rizab yang diwujudkan agar ia berdaya tahan dalam mendokong pembangunan negara ini.

Menyebut mengenai perbelanjaan kerajaan, kira-kira 70 peratus daripadanya merupakan perbelanjaan yang tidak fleksibel. Sebagai contoh, peruntukan yang diperlukan bagi membiayai Gaji Kakitangan Perkhidmatan Awam telahpun mencapai kira-kira 30 peratus daripada keseluruhan peruntukan.

Dengan hasil pendapatan kerajaan yang jauh menurun, keupayaan kerajaan untuk membiayai perbelanjaan lain sudah setentunya akan terhad, ini bermakna ruang fiskal (fiscal space) untuk melaksanakan Perbelanjaan Kapital dan Kemajuan yang diperlukan bagi projek-projek pembangunan juga akan terbatas, kerana sejumlah besar perbelanjaan tersebut telah diperuntukkan bagi menampung tanggungan-tanggungan operasi yang tidak fleksibel ini.

Oleh itu, tekan beliau, kerajaan perlu tegas dalam mengawal tahap perbelanjaannya bagi maksud mengurangkan pembaziran sumber kewangan dan tenaga.

Ini antara lainnya termasuklah dengan menjimatkan penggunaan tenaga elektrik di bangunan-bangunan kerajaan dan awam termasuk ‘street lighting’ dengan sasaran penjimatan sehingga 30 peratus; mengurangkan perbelanjaan-perbelanjaan operasi dan pemeliharaan aset yang kurang berkeutamaan; meneliti perkhidmatan yang boleh ‘dioutsource’ kepada pihak swasta sebagai langkah menggalakkan Public-Private Partnership dan lain-lain.

Begitu juga agensi-agensi kerajaan juga diarah untuk mengukuhkan pengurusan kutipan hasil masing-masing terutama bagi tunggakan perkhidmatan kerajaan daripada sektor swasta dan orang ramai yang mana pada masa ini adalah berjumlah kira-kira $390 juta.

Berkaitan penggunaan tenaga elektrik, beliau menyeru orang ramai dan pihak swasta di negara ini agar sama-sama turut mengambil langkah-langkah penjimatan dalam penggunaan tenaga elektrik bagi membantu mengurangkan beban subsidi yang perlu ditanggung oleh kerajaan.

Di samping keperluan berhemah dan berjimat cermat, ujar Yang Berhormat Pehin lagi. pihak kerajaan juga perlu untuk melaksanakan perubahan cara berbelanja dan dalam membuat perancangan perbelanjaan.

Menurutnya, langkah ini adalah perlu untuk memastikan dalam jangka masa sederhana dan panjang, kerajaan akan mempunyai struktur sumber kewangan yang berdaya tahan dan mengawal sebarang bentuk pembaziran.

Bagi mencapai hasrat kerajaan telah melaksanakan reformasi dalam kaedah penyediaan belanjawan, yang mana mulai Tahun Kewangan 2016/2017 ini, penyediaan belanjawan kerajaan telah dibuat berasaskan kepada ‘Programme and Performance Budgeting‘ (PPB) bagi menggantikan kaedah ‘input based budgeting’ yang telah sekian lama diguna pakai.

Beliau menjelaskan, langkah melaksanakan reformasi ini tepat pada masanya, yang mana melalui kaedah ini, fokus perbelanjaan kementerian dan jabatan akan dipertimbangkan berdasarkan ‘outcome’ berpandukan kepada program atau core functions kementerian dan jabatan masing-masing.

Menyentuh mengenai tema belanjawan, Yang Berhormat Pehin berkata, bagi tahun kewangan ini dirancang berdasarkan tema ‘Mengukuhkan Iklim Perekonomian bagi Mendokong Pembangunan Berterusan’ dengan matlamat untuk mencapai Kemapanan Fiskal dan mendukung dasar mempelbagaikan sumber ekonomi negara.

Yang Berhormat Pehin berkata, tema ini memberikan mesej yang cukup jelas akan penekanan kerajaan kepada memudah cara aktiviti perniagaan dan pelaburan negara, dengan didokong oleh modal insan yang berpengetahuan dan berkemahiran tinggi; peningkatan produktiviti negara; dan kesejahteraan awam.

Kesemua ini, tambahnya lagi, merupakan faktor-faktor penting dalam menyumbang dan mendokong pembangunan negara secara berterusan.

“Seyogia, semua kementerian dan agensi kerajaan akan memberikan penekanan dan tumpuan perbelanjaan kepada menyediakan prasarana perniagaan dan pelaburan yang lebih kondusif; memudah cara aktiviti perniagaan; meningkatkan produktiviti sektor awam; dan sebagainya.”


Sumber - Media Permata

KDYMM: Beri perhatian bagaimana memperkasa ekonomi

Titah Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan Dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam sempena Majlis Pembukaan Rasmi Mesyuarat Pertama dari Musim Permesyuaratan ke-dua belas Majlis Mesyuarat Negara 2016

Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil'alameen, Wabihee Nasta'eenu 'Alaa Umuriddunyaa Waddeen, Wassalaatu Wassalaamu 'Alaa Asyrafil Mursaleen, Sayyidina Muhammadin, Wa'alaa Aalihee Wasahbihee Ajma'een, Waba'du

BETA bersyukur ke hadrat Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala kerana dengan izin-Nya jua, dapatlah kita berkumpul sekali lagi di Istiadat Pembukaan Rasmi bagi Mesyuarat Pertama dari Musim Permesyuaratan Ke-12 Majlis Mesyuarat Negara (MMN) 2016 pada hari ini.

Beta gembira mengikuti perkembangan persidangan sejauh ini yang telah memainkan peranannya dengan baik. Beta ingin mengulangi lagi betapa pentingnya perbincangan memfokus perkara-perkara strategi yang membawa impak kepada negara. Sesuai dengan namanya Permesyuaratan MMN.

Janganlah semua isu hanya dibincangkan dan dibahas tanpa adanya susulan pelaksanaan. Kita juga perlu melihat apa yang sudah dicapai. Jika belum bermakna kita masih memerlukan tindakan pembaikan. Pendek kata, apa jua perancangan dan inisiatif adalah perlu untuk mengambil pendekatan delivery atau delivery approach untuk mencapai hasil yang dihasratkan.

Untuk itu, sangat perlu bagi ahli-ahli mempunyai pandangan yang jauh dan cepat ke hadapan. Mereka perlu mengambil langkah-langkah mitigasi dan membuat persediaan sewajarnya sebelum didatangi oleh sebarang persoalan.

Beta juga sukacita ingin mendengar saranan-saranan atau buah fikiran Ahli-Ahli Yang Berhormat Yang Dilantik mengenai cara-cara mengurangkan kebergantungan kepada sumber minyak dan gas.

Begitu juga bagaimana negara dapat menjana pendapatan dan kerajaan menjadi rakan kongsi dalam meningkatkan pertumbuhan ekonomi negara dan rakyat.

Saranan-saranan mahupun buah fikiran dan soalan-soalan hendaklah dibuat bukan atas kepentingan diri sendiri atau hanya mendengar dari satu pihak sahaja tanpa membuat kajian mendalam mengenainya.

Jika ini berlaku ia boleh saja menjadi perkara yang kurang signifikan dan tidak strategik untuk dibawa ke dewan ini.

Perhatian perlu diberikan bagaimana memperkasa ekonomi oleh kerajaan sendiri termasuk bagi sektor swasta. Pada setakat ini dasar kerajaan ialah memperkasa sektor swasta. Kerajaan telah mengambil langkah-langkah konkrit untuk membantu memperbaiki persekitaran perniagaan. Ini termasuk infrastruktur, perundangan yang pro-bisnes.

Misalnya pendaftaran syarikat perniagaan sekarang sudah boleh dibuat secara online dalam tempoh hanya satu hari sahaja. Dan sementara lesen perniagaan tidak diperlukan lagi bagi sebahagian jenis perniagaan.

Juga dengan adanya pusat perusahaan kecil dan sederhana adalah diharapkan perusahaanperusahaan tempatan yang berskala kecil dan sederhana akan dapat berkembang maju sehingga ke peringkat antarabangasa.

Sudah tiba masanya kita mengubah strategi perusahaan daripada hanya semata-mata mencapai sara diri atau self-sufficient kepada berasaskan eksport. Kita sudah ada rangkaian-rangkaian pemangkin serantau dan antarabangsa seperti BIMP-EAGA, ASEAN, APEC dan baru-baru ini TPP bagi membantu menjana pertumbuhan ekonomi.

Apa yang tinggal ialah usaha-usaha mantap ke arah kejayaan, kita perlu cekap merebut peluang-peluang yang ada, kerana itu beta menyeru supaya para pengusaha tempatan dapat berdaya saing untuk meraih kejayaan melalui peluang-peluang yang sedia ada, bukan sahaja bagi merebut peluang-peluang yang ada dalam negara malah lebih jauh peluangpeluang serantau dan antarabangsa.

Alhamdulillah Pelaburan Langsung Asing (FDI) telah mula beroperasi di negara ini dan terdapat beberapa lagi pelaburan baharu yang masih dalam penelitian.

Oleh itu, usaha-usaha untuk memudah cara aktiviti perekonomian negara perlulah terus dipertingkat dan diperkemaskan.

Pada hemat beta, kita masih boleh dan mampu untuk melakukan yang terbaik dengan syarat kita tidak mengambil sikap mudah berpuas hati dengan pencapaian-pencapaian yang ada.

Di bidang kewangan sungguhpun negara masih mampu menyediakan sejumlah peruntukan bagi pembangunan negara dan operasi kerajaan, namun kita mesti mengambil sikap berhemah dalam berbelanja dengan cara lebih melihat kepada keperluan dan keutamaan.

Akhir kalam beta menyeru kepada Ahli-Ahli Majlis-Mesyuarat supaya dapat meneruskan serta melipatgandakan usaha masing-masing dalam memeduli permasalahan rakyat dan penduduk negara ini, sama ada mereka yang bermastautin di kawasan bandar mahupun di kawasan-kawasan luar bandar.

Apa jua permasalahan itu perlu ditangani dengan baik dan sempurna dengan jalan berunding. Semoga usaha-usaha yang kita buat akan menghasilkan buah yang baik dan ranum untuk semua.

Sekian, Wabillahit Taufik Walhidayah, Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

LegCo Speaker hints at more budget cuts

Izzati Jalil and Waqiuddin Rajak
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Legislative Council (LegCo) Speaker expects parliament members to take “bold steps” in government spending amid weak global oil prices and a $2 billion budget deficit.

Speaking to reporters, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdul Rahman Dato Setia Hj Mohamed Taib hinted at more budget cuts, saying that the country cannot continue to spend without earning.

Asked whether Brunei can expect budget cuts for the 2016/2017 financial year, the Speaker said, “It is quite obvious isn’t it? You have to spend on what you can earn.  You have to cut your shirt according to the cloth you have.”

“Last year we spent a lot of money on education. This year I don’t really know what the emphasis would be. I would have thought that there will be some bold steps here,” he said on the sidelines of the opening of the 12th LegCo session yesterday.

It was previously projected that the Brunei government would run into a $2.28 billion deficit in the 2015/2016 fiscal year.

The government has already hit over $1.6 billion in deficit as of December 2015, Second Finance Minister Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdul Rahman Hj Ibrahim had said in January this year. The proposed government budget for 2016/2017 financial year is expected to be unveiled early next week. The LegCo Speaker further said national strategies to tackle the current economic problems need to be focused during this year’s proceedings.

Meanwhile, Minister of Communications Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Hj Mustappa Hj Sirat said mobility is important to the economy as it would open up an “economic space” for the people, employment opportunities and marketability of products in the country.

“It is also the source for our economic dynamism, and mobility of the people itself is the basis to Brunei’s economic resilience and competitiveness,” he said in an interview.

He said the Ministry of Communications’ role is to ensure the smooth movement of people, goods and services, which requires improvements in public transportation.

“The same also goes to the fields of information and communications technology (ICT) and the post office, that the communication between people to people could be closer. The main emphasis here would be connectivity, reliability and mobility,” he continued.

The minister also stressed the importance of government policies becoming more “pro-business”, moving from being regulatory to facilitative, to bolster economic growth. “We should also be creative and consider the Brunei market and how it could be expanded from the non-oil and gas sectors,” he added.

Reacting to His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s titah, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports said Brunei must move forward and work together in times of economic slowdown.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awang Halbi Hj Mohd Yusof said a “team effort” is needed to inject life into Brunei’s economy.

LegCo member Yang Berhormat Hj Mohd Shafiee Ahmad, who is also the village head for Lumut 1, said he agreed with His Majesty’s titah in shouldering responsibilities accordingly. “We feel the pinch as a result of our economy slowdown at the moment,” he said, adding that there is a need to work together to support the government on how to increase the country’s revenues.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

HM calls for empowerment of private sector in titah

Waqiuddin Rajak
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, reiterated his call to bolster the private sector in achieving economic growth.

In his titah at the opening of the 12th Legislative Council (LegCo) session yesterday, the Sultan said LegCo members should direct their attention to strengthening the economy.

“I would like to hear ideas or recommendations from LegCo members on how to reduce overdependence on oil and gas resources.

“How can Brunei generate revenues and how can the government become a partner in boosting economic growth for the benefit of our people,” His Majesty added.

The monarch said opinions, recommendations or any questions raised during the LegCo proceedings should not be out of personal interest or formed after listening to one side only without proper research.

“Should this happen, it would diminish in significance and would no longer be of strategic importance to be brought up to the Legislative Council.

“Issues that were brought up should not just be discussed and debated without taking any follow-up action,” he added.

Speaking on national finances, His Majesty said the country can still afford to fund development programmes and government operations, but the government must prioritise and be prudent in spending.

The Sultan went on to say that it is the government’s policy to strengthen the private sector, where steps have been taken to improve the business environment, including the setting up of a pro-business legal infrastructure.

“For example, registration for businesses can now be done online, taking just a day, while business licences are not needed for certain businesses,” he added.

His Majesty said the setting up of the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Centre would help companies penetrate into the international market. “It is time for us to change our business strategy, from being self-sufficient to one that is export-oriented,” he said.

“We already have national and internationl networking bodies including BIMP-EAGA, ASEAN, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and recently, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to help generate economic growth, what remains is solid efforts towards success,” he continued.

The Sultan also spoke of the need to seize any available opportunities, urging local entrepreneurs to be competitive not just in the country, but also tap into the international market.

“Alhamdulillah, foreign direct investments (FDIs) are now operational in the country, where potential new investments are still under consideration, indicating the need for the country to revise and improve its facilitation of economic activities,” he said.

“In my opinion, we still can and are able to give our best, on the condition that we are not complacent with our pre-existing achievements,” he added.

The monarch also said LegCo members need to study what has been achieved, and take corrective measures if objectives were not met.

“In short, any planning and initiative done should be done in a ‘delivery’ approach to reach the desired goal.

“For that, it is imperative for members to have foresight and to quickly move forward; they need to take steps and be duly prepared in anticipation of any setbacks,” he added.

His Majesty then urged LegCo members to multiply their efforts in addressing issues facing residents in urban and rural areas.

“Any problems should be handled well through consultation. Hopefully our efforts would bear fruit,” he said.


Sumber - The Brunei Times

Brunei’s rice target still a long way off

Waqiuddin Rajak and Wail Wardi Wasil
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

BRUNEI still has a long way to go and many improvements to make before achieving its target of 60 per cent self-sufficiency in rice production, which was supposed to be met last year.

While the Department of Agrifood and Agriculture recorded a 44 per cent rise last year in rice production, better irrigation and more supplies of fertilisers are still needed to improve output.

Soil conditions

Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Hj Mohd Sahlan Hj Hidup, chairperson of Koperasi Setia Kawan (KOSEKA), said padi planting itself may face challenges as most of the soil in Brunei is acidic and not very suitable for mass plantation of padi.

In order to resolve this, he said the government or any related bodies may need to distribute a lot of lime-based fertiliser to farmers, which would help reduce the acidity levels of the land, making it suitable for padi plantations.

The process of making the land suitable would be a long one, however, looking at the amount of fertiliser that needs to be applied, said Hj Mohammad Hj Shamsu, a padi entrepreneur who is also a member of the Mukim Padi Planting project in Wasan in Brunei-Muara District.

For land that had never been cultivated with lime-based fertiliser, he said, it may take a long time, looking at how long it took to make Wasan suitable for padi plantation after years of administering fertiliser.

The suitability of the soil at Wasan, he said, contributed to the rise in the country’s rice production for 2015, and the area now only needs a small amount of lime-based fertiliser, but more nutrients need to be added to the fertiliser and other fertilisers need to be used to foster good growth of their padi.

Need for adequate fertilisation

Hj Mohammad said the types of fertiliser needed to enable padi to grow well in Wasan are the NPK 15-15-15 variety, where every 15 per cent of the fertiliser contains a combination of three types of elements - Nitrogen-Phosphate-Potassium - and also the NPK 12-12-17 TE variety.

The first type of fertiliser, he said, is applied to ensure the fertile growth of padi in the plots, and the other fertiliser is to support the padi hormones for better grains when it is time for harvesting.

He said the good growth and production in Brunei has allowed him to increase his yield from 2.5 metric tonnes of padi per plot to three tonnes, but he added that more fertilisers are still needed to further ensure good yields from padi farms in Wasan.

While the government provided subsidies for the fertilisers, Hj Mohammad said padi farmers in Wasan at times face difficulties in obtaining adequate amounts of fertilisers to be administered to their padi plantations.

Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Hj Mohd Sahlan of KOSEKA said that for NPK 15-15-15, the full price is $50 per gunny sack, while the NPK 12-12-17 TE is priced at $60.

The government, he said, provides a 50 per cent subsidy on the prices of each.

While the fertilisers may not be enough, Hj Mohammad said some farmers may resort to getting fertilisers by themselves, especially the NPK15-15-15, which they could obtain for $50 by importing it from China.

This, he said, is needed as the fertilisers had proven to allow their padi to flourish, and the NPK 12-12-17 will then be used especially to ensure that the padi would produce better grains when it comes to the harvesting period.

Need for better irrigation

Hj Mohammad and Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Hj Mohd Sahlan both highlighted the need for adequate supply of water to replenish the padi farms, ensuring their growth.

In providing the supply, however, Hj Mohammad said the mukims and KOSEKA may have to take turns in opening up their supply channels to allow water to reach the padi due to the limited capacity of the Imang Dam in Mukim Pengkalan Batu.

However, he said if every farmer in Wasan is able to get the water supply and plant at the same time, the rate of padi production may rise sharply, but doing so would depend on the government and how they think would be the best way to address the problem.

Meanwhile, to address the irrigation problems of padi farms, specifically in Brunei-Muara district, a couple of projects were proposed by the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, including expanding the capacity of the Imang Dam.

The Imang Dam is used to supply water for irrigation to all plantations in Wasan, Bebuloh, Panchor Murai, Batong, Junjongan and Limau Manis farm plantations.

The proposed project would increase the dam’s capacity by 10 per cent from its current capacity of 8 million cubic metres of water to 8.8 million cubic metres.

The project would also entail improvements of the water pump at the dam’s pumping station that supplies to the holding tank.

The holding tank near the dam distributes water for irrigation to all padi plantations in Brunei-Muara district.

The Acting Assistant Director of Agriculture at the DAA, Saidin Namit, said recently that the water pump is the main problem when it comes to the irrigation of the padi plantations. He said it is unable to replenish the water in the holding tank fast enough to maintain a high pressure to ensure that the water supply reaches all padi plantations.

Saidin added that the department has finalised all the paperwork for the proposed project, but its implementation will depend on this year’s budget allocation, which will be addressed at the Legislative Council meeting.

The target of 60 per cent self-sufficiency in rice was first set in 2009 by the then Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and was supposed to be reached by 2015.

Former Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar announced at last year’s Legislative Council meeting that Brunei would not reach the 60 per cent target as planned.

Since the failure to reach the target, there hasn’t been any clear-cut new target set for Brunei in its bid to be self-sufficient in rice, and a report last year had stated that the country was only four per cent self-sufficient.


Sumber - The Brunei Times