Yang Mulia Awang Razali bin Haji Johari,
President of the Shipping Association of Brunei Darussalam who is also
Chairman of the "SymForium And InfoVision" on Enhancing
Cooperation and Consultation;
Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Haji Yusoff bin Haji Abd Hamid,
Deputy Minister of Communications;
Yang Mulia, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister
Office;
Yang Mulia Awang Haji Ibrahim bin Haji Ali,
Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications;
Heads of Departments, Members of Shipping Association
of Brunei Darussalam;
SymForium and InfoVision Participants; and
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh and Very
Good Morning.
First of all I would like to thank Shipping Association
of Brunei Darussalam for inviting me to officially launch this SympForium
and InfoVision entitled Enhancing Cooperation and Consultation.
I would also like to congratulate Shipping Association
of Brunei Darussalam for their initiative in organising this SympForium
and InfoVision.
Service Hub by 2024
Brunei Darussalam as stated in the 8th
National Development Plan adopted the national vision as "Kesejahteraan
Rakyat" which is an encompassing vision to make Brunei Darussalam
a country in which its citizens continue to live in peace and harmony with
sustainable high standard of living.
In order to support this national vision, Ministry of
Communications has adopted its vision "Service Hub 2024"
which aims for not just the creation of a growing and self-sustaining
domestic transport and communications industry but as well as making
Brunei Darussalam as a competitive, efficient and significant regional
service hub. This outward looking policy would link Brunei Darussalam to
the international community through the transport and communications
infrastructure and at the same time bridge the BIMP-EAGA region to the
rest of the world through Brunei Darussalam.
To realize this vision, Ministry of Communications
adopted its mission "to provide a safe, efficient, accessible and
secure transport and communications services" or in short SEAS.
This mission calls for the construction of physical infrastructures of
first class standard, the provision of excellent facilities, the provision
of competitive services and the creation of conducive environment to the
development of businesses and industries.
Transport and Communications Sector has to meet the
challenges of the 21st century by: staying competitive through
competitive rates and efficient services; making constant stream of
innovation and changes; providing continuous enhancement to safety and
security; providing excellence in infrastructure & facilities;
providing capacity ahead of demand; attracting foreign investors &
operators; establishing strategic alliance; providing efficient
facilitation; providing automation; providing ease of making connections;
and utilizing new technologies.
Ministry of Communications and the departments under
the ministry have drawn up a 20 year implementation plan for all the
projects, programs and activities that have been identified to realize the
vision as well as to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
This plan includes the transfer of services currently provided by
departments under the Ministry of Communications to a corporate or private
entity.
As you all read just over a week ago, His Majesty the
Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has consented for the
corporatisation of Jabatan Telekom Brunei (JTB) with effect from 1 April
2006. Jabatan Telekom’s functions in delivering telecommunications
services will be transferred to Syarikat Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru).
It is envisaged that within the next 20 years,
Inysa-Allah, Ministry of Communications and departments under it would
continue and complete shifting its main role from providing public
services, building and operating infrastructures and facilities to solely
policy-setting, regulatory and facilitation of business and industry.
CO0PERATION AND CONSULTATION AMONG PUBLIC SECTOR AND
PRIVATE SECTOR
Implementation of Service Hub 2024 projects, programs
and activities requires full and close cooperation and consultation among
government agencies in the public sector; between the public sector and
the private sector; between Government as service provider and its
customers as well as between business and its customers and even among
various agencies in the private sector.
Indeed, the need to cooperate and consult between the
public and the private sector was expressed by His Majesty the Sultan and
Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in his titah in conjunction with the
New Year 2002 on 31 December 2001 where His Majesty stated, quote "Beta
berharap semua pihak dalam sektor swasta dan juga orang ramai akan terus
bekerjasama dengan pihak kerajaan dan sektor awam dalam menjalankan
usaha-usaha ke arah pemulihan ekonomi Negara", unquote. In fact
His Majesty reiterated and re-emphasised at the official opening of
Legislative Council Meeting the importance of both the government and the
private sectors to jointly support government efforts to diversify the
economy. In this context, I look forward to the contribution of
transportation sector including shipping.
It is evident that in the past two years, cooperation
and consultation among government agencies in the public sector have
tremendously been enhanced and strengthened through the government
re-alignment programme whereby all ministries and departments have been
directed to realign their visions with the national vision. These enhanced
and strengthened cooperation and consultations among government agencies
will continue to take place in order to successfully implement various
projects, programs and activities that have been identified to realize the
respective ministries’ visions and the eventual realization of the
national vision.
Cooperation and consultation between government
agencies in the public sector and various agencies in the private sector
are of paramount importance with the increase in the participation of
private sector in various government projects. Participation of private
sector in providing various services is expected to increase considerably
through the enhanced liberalization programme of various services which
are currently provided by the government and through the
built-operate-transfer or built-operate-own scheme.
I am pleased to note that various consultation
mechanisms in the transport and communications sector involving government
agencies and the private sector have long been established. These, among
others, include, Airport Facilitation Committee, Study Groups to implement
various Service Hub 2024 strategies, Goods in Transit Working Group,
regular consultations between Ports Department and the port service
providers through the respective associations such as Shipping Association
of Brunei Darussalam (SABD), Brunei Freight Forwarders (BRUFA) and
Federation of Transportation, Stevedoring of Brunei Darussalam (FTSBD) and
regular meetings between government agencies with their respective
stakeholders in the private sector.
It is my sincere hope that the government agencies and
the private sector will further promote and strengthen the Public-Private
Sector Partnership as strategic partners in developing and achieving the
common goals of making Brunei Darussalam as the Service Hub by the year
2024.
Coordination and consultation between Government as
service provider and its customers as well as between business and its
customers is equally important. Through such coordination and
consultation, government and business would be able to get feedback from
their customers and make necessary improvements to the services that they
provide.
With the increase in the number and variety of
disciplines of port services provided by various agencies in the private
sector, it is inevitable that cooperation and consultation among these
agencies in the private sector need to be enhanced and strengthened.
Together, these agencies through strategic alliance could offer
competitive and efficient services in attracting foreign shipping lines to
provide shipping services to Muara Port and in making use of Muara Port in
carrying out transhipment activities; and in attracting regional
distribution and logistics companies to operate at Muara Port.
PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT
In order to support the Ministry of Communications
vision "Service Hub 2024", Ministry of Communications adopted
Ports Department vision to develop Muara Port as the hub port of the
Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines – East ASEAN
Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
Ports Department goals, among others, include: to
Connect Muara Port with major and hub ports in the region as well as with
main ports in the BIMP-EAGA; to Become Transhipment Hub; and to Become
Distribution and Logistics Centre. I have every confidence that Shipping
Association of Brunei Darussalam will give its full support to Ports
Department in developing and achieving the said goals.
Such support that Shipping Association of Brunei
Darussalam could extend to Ports Department includes but not limited to:
develop a national shipping line; expand direct links so as connect Muara
Port with ports within and outside the region; develop efficient shipping
services; and expand transhipment activities.
In our efforts to regulate the functions of the Ports
Department I wish to share with you that Ministry of Communications has
tasked Ports Department with the cooperation of Attorney General Chambers
to come up with Regulations on Port Licensing of port service providers so
as to regulate the services provided at the Muara Port. This regulation,
Insha Allah is expected to be in place by mid-2007.
Strategies to develop Brunei Darussalam as the Service
Hub by 2024, the strategies to develop Muara Port as the hub port of the
BIMP-EAGA, the opening up of new markets such as ASEAN Free Trade Area and
the envisioned ASEAN – China Free Trade Area create a lot of business
opportunities to local and foreign companies.
In this connection, it is my sincere hope that existing
companies will expand their business and more local companies will come
forward and participate actively in providing new transport and
communications services either on their own or through joint-venture with
foreign companies. The Ministry of Communications is prepared to consider
giving incentives so as to assist in the starting up of new services that
will support the vision to make Brunei Darussalam as the Service Hub by
2024.
CONCLUSION
Ladies and gentlemen,
Towards the realisation of the vision to make Brunei
Darussalam as the Service Hub requires full commitment and support from
both the public and the private sector. I am fully confident that all the
transport and communications community including the port community will
strive and make every effort and cooperate so as to realize this vision.
To conclude, I sincerely wish you all every success in
your deliberations.
With the kalimah, Bismillahir Rahman Nirrahim it is my
great pleasure and privilege to officiate this SympForium and InfoVision
entitled "Enhancing Cooperation and Consultation".
Wabillahit Taufik Walhidayah Wassalamualaikum
Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
