| Izah Azahari |
THE Information Department’s two-day ‘Informed Community’ programme for Kampong Labu Estate started yesterday at the Kampong Labu Estate Community Hall in Temburong District.
The programme was organised with the objective of disseminating to members of the Kampong Labu Estate community key information and current developments at the Information Department, as well as to be a bridge of communication between the Information Department and Kampong Labu Estate community.
Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Haji Emran bin Haji Sabtu and Acting Deputy Director of the Information Department Hajah Noorashidah binti Haji Aliomar were the guests of honour.
Also present were 25 programme participants comprising retirees and youth currently looking for work as well as penghulus and village heads of Kampong Labu Estate.
Programme chairman Eddy Iswandy bin Haji Ismail said the programme serves as a medium for the Information Department to disseminate official information on the latest government policies and happenings.
The programme, comprising dialogue sessions and community visits, is held for grassroots level community members to understand, support and appreciate the government’s efforts in achieving Vision 2035.
Eddy Iswandy added that the briefing sessions will be facilitated by invited speakers from various government agencies such as the Ministry of Energy, Manpower and Industry, Syariah Affairs Department, Labour Department, Royal Customs and Excise Department, and Agriculture and Agrifood Department.
Participants visited RZ Prisma Enterprise, KKP Kilanas, Haji Mohd Salleh bin Haji Ludin dan Anak-Anak Company and Sabli Food Industries (B) Sdn Bhd.
Participants also attended five talks. The first briefing, ‘Ease of Doing Business’, was delivered by Special Duties Officer (Level II) from the Ease of Doing Business Unit at the Ministry of Energy, Manpower and Industry Zulfadli bin Abu Bakar.
Zulfadli discussed the steps undertaken by the government to simplify business regulations in Brunei Darussalam and improve the country’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ climate, in a bid to facilitate the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country and realise Vision 2035.
The second briefing, ‘The Concept of Halal Food in Islam’, was delivered by Mohammad Azrin bin Haji Jaidi, a Trained Religious Teacher from the Syariah Affairs Department.
He spoke on the Halal Meat Act Chapter 183 as well as the Halal Certificate and Halal Label Order 2005.
The third briefing was on ‘Labour Laws/Foreign Workers Entry’ delivered by Assistant Commissioners of Labour Hajah Norajimah binti Haji Aji and Norizzah Hazirah binti Haji Hussin of the Labour Department.
They spoke on the Work Order 2009 and the Labour Department’s labour laws and foreign workers entry requirements, such as the application process for a Foreign Workers License (FWL).
A fourth briefing on the Customs Order 2006 and the Excise Order 2006 was presented by Acting Superintendent of Customs Joefry bin Haji Mohd Yassin and Senior Superintendent of Customs Hamdi bin Zainal Abidin of the Royal Customs and Excise Department.
The speakers discussed the department’s mission and vision, restricted and prohibited items, application procedures for exporting and importing items, procedures used in the processing declared items, procedures used in the transit and transfer of goods application, duties/taxes, enforcement of control of subsidised goods, as well as examples of offences and customs penalties.
The final briefing, ‘Entrepreneurship: Paddy Planting’, was delivered by Head of the Paddy Industry Unit at the Agriculture and Agrifood Department Khairunnisa binti Haji Omar Ali. The speaker touched on the department’s Strategic Plan (2016-2020) for the paddy industry and discussed business opportunities in the paddy industry.