| James Kon in Japan |
FURTHER boosting Brunei Darussalam’s diversification drive, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has announced its readiness to provide technical cooperation in capacity-building for various non-oil and gas-related fields, such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), human resources development in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), tourism, agriculture and fisheries.
It is hoped that the cooperation will commence in August this year, after the Brunei Government concludes the signing of the technical cooperation agreement.
Details of JICA’s assistance in future and previous collaborations were revealed in a briefing for Brunei and Singapore at JICA’s headquarters in Japan located at the Nibancho Center Building in Tokyo.
The briefing was conducted by Takehara Masayoshi, the Director; Sasaki Hiroshi, Deputy Assistant Director of JICA’s Southeast Asia Division 2; and Otake Naoko and Higashiyama Sanae of Southeast Asia Division 2.
During the briefing, Hiroshi said, “We are now proposing new ways of cooperation on a sharing basis, and when the agreement is concluded, the Japanese Government will be ready to start a new wave of technical cooperation in helping Brunei to diversify its economy.”
It was also revealed that two missions from JICA visited Brunei Darussalam last year, during which the Brunei Government expressed interest in technical cooperation for capacity-building between both countries.
JICA officials have reaffirmed that JICA has several technical and training programmes which are able to support Brunei’s aspirations to diversify its economy.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) officials in a group photo with Charissa Yong, Correspondent of Political Desk in The Straits Times Singapore, and James Kon from the Borneo Bulletin at the JICA Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan
When asked about the date of the signing of the technical cooperation agreement, Masayoshi replied, “The draft agreement has already been handed to the Brunei Government. We are hoping the agreement will be signed this August, so that the technical cooperation can take place in this fiscal year.”
Regarding possibilities for long-term cooperation, he said, “We hope that Japan and Brunei can conduct joint programmes for other countries in technical cooperation.”
Since the 1980s, JICA has contributed to the diversification of Brunei’s economy and human resources development through technical cooperation, upon request from the Brunei Government.
Seven cooperation projects have been conducted so far, with 114 Japanese experts dispatched to Brunei, and attended by 1,235 participants.
The technical cooperation projects are: Feasibility Studies for a Cement Factory (1982), the upgrading of the Brunei’s Government Printing Department (1983), Public Transport System Planning (1983-1985), Detailed Designs of a Cement Plant (1985), Forestry Research Methodology (1985-1990), Corrosion Countermeasures for RC Concrete Structure (1982-1987) and the Forestry Resources Management Plan (1984-1991).
A total of 3.9 billion yen were contributed by JICA for the seven technical cooperation projects.
In January 1996, Brunei Darussalam became a ‘graduated country’ from the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) List of Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipient countries.
Since then JICA’s cooperation to Brunei Darussalam has shifted from direct cooperation to knowledge-sharing, with Bruneians participating in technical training programmes held in third countries.
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