| Azlan Othman |
MINISTER at the Prime Minister’s Office Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud said His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s titah at the opening of the 15th Legislative Council (LegCo) session on March 7 is “visionary” and depicted the monarch’s “far-sighted and deep approach” for the sake of the nation.
He said His Majesty’s titah reflects his concern in ensuring that the nation’s prosperity is preserved while facing current and future challenges.
“The welfare of the people is close to His Majesty’s heart and his intention to enhance the quality of the people’s lives is far-sighted, so that they will not be far behind in development,” the minister said in his motion of thanks on the second day of the LegCo session yesterday.
“The youth should be empowered and steer nation-building. His Majesty also highlighted on the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and our readiness in facing it. The monarch once reminded us during his New Year 2019 titah that the 4IR will challenge our conventional skills and require us to carry out lifelong learning.”
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Mokti added that His Majesty has pioneered efforts by holding consultations to open up the economy to the world and encourage foreign direct investment (FDI) to the country, and encourage local entrepreneurs to grab business opportunities and expand their operations overseas.
He continued, “His Majesty also emphasised the need to strengthen good governance at all levels to ensure that the provision of services to the public is excellent, efficient, effective, and people-friendly. In line with His Majesty’s titah, the Prime Minister’s Office will always review the regulations, including those facilitating the ease of doing business.”
The minister also highlighted the impact made on the country’s expenditure by the uncertain global economy and unstable global oil prices, noting that these realities will challenge the country’s mission to effectuate a sustainable economy and fiscal consolidation.
“Efficient and effective public service is needed. Other initiatives by other government agencies are fiscal consolidation, besides fine-tuning rules and policies. Corporatisation and public and private partnerships are also needed,” he said.
“In the public sector, efforts are being made to fill up posts in all government agencies. But the capacity is limited if these vacancies are seen as a solution for unemployment,” he said. “But the government will always give guidance to entrepreneurs.
The opportunities available to be explored both regionally and internationally are vast.
“E-commerce has the potential to expand from USD30 billion in 2016 to USD200 billion by 2025 as stated by His Majesty in his New Year 2019 titah. What is crucial is our willingness to engage in entrepreneurship and grab the opportunity.”