DAY 6 AFTERNOON
9TH MARCH 2023 - AFTERNOON
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(The session resumes at 2.30 pm)
Your Honorable Speaker
ِ ُالرحْ يم السَّال ُم عل ْي ُك ْم ورحْ مة ُهللا وبركاتُه َّ الرحْ َٰم ِن َّ ّٰللا ِ ِبس ِْم ه
Honorable Members of Parliament, the National Assembly is still discussing the proposed Supply Bill (2023) for the year 2023/2024, which was suggested by the Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and the Minister of Finance and Economy II.
To enable us to continue the discussion and examine the topics in the bill, I will adjourn the National Assembly and we will reconvene at the Committee level.
(The National Assembly is adjourned) (The meeting continues as a Committee)
Your Honorable Speaker
بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمHonorable Members of Parliament, we are now fully convened at the Committee level to consider the Supply Bill (2023), 2023/2024, to be examined one by one. At the Committee meeting held this morning, we began discussing and examining the Budget of the Ministry of Home Affairs and its departments. Along with me, there is a list of several Honorable Members who have expressed interest in participating in the discussion on the Ministry of Home Affairs. I will now begin our discussion by inviting the Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin. Please proceed, Your Honorable.
Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin
بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم, Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members.
ُ السَّال ُم عل ْي ُك ْم ورحْ مةُ هللاِ وبركاتُهand greetings. Blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his honest and loyal companions throughout time.
Thank you to the Honorable Minister of Home Affairs for explaining the development and achievements of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Brunei. I have some questions and suggestions to be considered.
District Officers, Mayors, Penghulus, Village Heads, and Heads of Departments at the District level. The District Office, Mayors assisted by Penghulus and Village Heads in each district are assigned to represent the government in caring for the people, striving to improve the welfare, safety, comfort, and development of the district, not only in urban areas but also in rural areas. Therefore, I believe that District Officers and all members of the District Department Heads who are appointed and assigned to their respective districts should reside in the areas where they are assigned. This is because the real problems and issues in the district cannot be seen when they are only in the office or during working hours. As we know, working hours are limited, and government officials will be busy with daily tasks and it is unlikely that they will have the opportunity to meet with local residents.
Work Permit Holders. I understand that the Minister of Home Affairs is responsible for issuing Work Permits after obtaining confirmation from MPEC, where no qualified or interested local people are available for the offered job. May I inquire how much money has been issued for Work Permits that are still valid until today, and what are the categories of trade levels and how long is an individual's Work Permit issued?
Which mechanism or agency is responsible for assessing whether the Work Permit that has been issued is still needed continuously, and is there any ad-hoc verification monitoring to ensure that the Work Permit issued meets the original reason for application and issuance? This is to prevent the misuse of Work Permits, such as trading them, which can lead to freelance workers working without an employer, which can be categorized as human trafficking.
Proposal one, as suggested by Your Honorable during the budget debate of the Prime Minister's Department - MPEC, is that a levy should be imposed on every work permit outside of certain categories, excluding domestic helpers, healthcare givers, caregivers for the disabled, or similar categories. Your Honorable's second proposal is to increase the levy for every permit issued each year when the work permit is renewed. Your Honorable suggests that all levies collected be placed in the Skills Development Fund, which is managed by the Human Resource Development Council, consisting of representatives from the education and government industries. The council's sole task is to ensure that the funds are used to train locals to take over the work permit holders.
With an increased levy for every renewal, it will serve as an incentive for companies to seek replacements from locals who have been trained at the development center and to hire young people who have been trained at the Skills Development Center. This will achieve three goals.
i. Help local businesses obtain skilled workers by obtaining work permits if no Bruneians are willing or able to do the job;
ii. Obtain funds for skills development contributed by businesses without disturbing government funds; and
iii. Replace work permit holders with skilled locals.
Issue three. Businesses under the control of the MOHA Municipality that are vacant or not operational will result in a pile-up of unpaid rent. There are many empty shops, commercial stalls in government buildings or markets that have been vacant for a long time. Please enlighten us if there are statistics showing how many vacancies there are and if there is a review conducted to determine the cause and if there is any assistance that needs to be extended to license holders to continue their business or if they need help to vacate the shop to allocate the empty stalls to those on the waiting list.
Proposal:
We request that we make it clear to the public the terms and conditions for obtaining the plot and the action that will be taken if the trader does not operate for a certain period (not operating for six months, given a warning) and if they continue to not pay the rent, they should give the opportunity for the plot to be given to another trader.
To establish more pop-up sites for children.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Your Honorable Speaker, may I answer first in case I forget.
Your Honorable Speaker
He has many questions. Perhaps we should break it down.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
I, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
If Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs wants to answer first, perhaps the Honorable Members should stop first. So everyone will be satisfied.
Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin
Sure. As long as I am given the opportunity to ask further questions.
Your Honorable Speaker
Please proceed, Your Honorable.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Thank you also to Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin for the questions and suggestions. I will only answer regarding the DO. Thank you also for the concern of Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin in caring for the welfare of the residents in these areas, namely to ensure that district officers live in the districts where they are placed or assigned.
In answering, indeed in the job description of these district officers, they are required to live in the district where they are assigned.
At this time, the Ministry and District Departments are managing the provision of logistics to enable these district officers to reside in the district where they are assigned. Insha Allah, the appointed district officers will live in the district where they are assigned in the near future. This is one of the KPIs or as contained in the job description of these district officers, Your Honorable Speaker.
The second question, regarding foreigners. In November 2022, the Labor Department conducted a Census of Employers and Workers. Of the total of 60,293 foreign workers in the country, those who are valid and have records issued by the Labor Department to work in the Construction Sector are 16,444 people. Followed by the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector with 12,191 people, the Vehicle Repair Sector with 8,386 people, and the Provision of Housing and Food Services Activities Sector with 8,386 people. If we break down this statistic by age, the majority of foreign workers are between 30-40 years old, with a total of 30,612 people.
Meanwhile, in terms of education, a total of 50,643 people have education levels ranging from secondary, technical, vocational and below. If we look at these figures during discussions on MPEC, Vision, and unemployment, there is actually room for local children to fill these positions. The question is whether they want to, which we will see from their upskilling efforts later. Out of the total of 60,293 people, the top three countries are Indonesia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. We take note that these three countries also help us in terms of construction and hospitality.
In an effort to provide job opportunities for local children, the Labour Department has collaborated with JobCentre Brunei, as mentioned in the introduction, to ensure that approval is obtained from JobCentre Brunei before foreign worker licenses are granted by the Labour Department, especially for positions that have been identified as having potential to be filled by local children.
In addition, the Labour Department also collaborates with the Manpower Planning and Employment Council in formulating and implementing policies related to labour in the country. Regarding the Honorable Member's suggestion on levies, it has indeed been discussed with certain ministries.
God willing, once it is completed, I will share the results of these discussions to ensure that they can be implemented practically and effectively, Your Honorable Speaker. That's all I can answer for now, while we wait for the next question. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
Please proceed.
Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Please continue.
I believe you were discussing about the empty lots earlier. My second suggestion is to create more pop-up sites where our local youth can do business without the need for licenses and at a low cost, as long as they are legitimate businesses run by themselves and not by foreign workers. This will brighten up the area and provide business opportunities for our young people.
Monitoring of business sites specifically for local bumiputera children should be managed by bumiputera and local children. For example, there are bumiputera business complexes that, from the outside, appear to have no bumiputera running them, and there is a high possibility that these places are rented out to outsiders who use local licenses. Perhaps the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) can monitor and ensure that places that are labelled as local bumiputera businesses are run by local bumiputera.
Your Honorable, the holders of the position of Penghulu and Village Chief. If Kaola understands correctly, the issue of the Penghulu and Village Chief positions was briefly discussed earlier, despite the explanation given by the Honorable Minister. "Alhamdulillah", the Ministry's efforts to fill the Penghulu and Village Chief positions with qualified candidates under a new scheme are currently underway. It is understood that 30-40 vacancies have already been filled by young candidates who possess the necessary qualifications under the new scheme.
The question is, while waiting for the appointment of new qualified Penghulus and Village Chiefs under the new scheme, all current holders of the positions will be terminated from their services. Some of them will be offered to become Pemangku Penghulu and Ketua Kampung in their respective villages with the same responsibilities but with only an allowance. It is unfortunate that some want to object and leave, but most of them agree due to the economic pressure at present. Some people are grateful, "Alhamdulillah".
Your Honorable Speaker
Honorable Members, I believe that no one is being oppressed in this matter.
Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin
I apologize if my wording was incorrect. "Alhamdulillah", some are concerned about the Ministry's recognition of their services by providing them with the opportunity to become Pemangku Penghulu and Ketua Kampung, while others have different opinions. Hopefully, we can take only the good things, with the intention of helping.
Suggestion:
Kaola suggests that any Pemangku Penghulu and Ketua Kampung who have been terminated but agree to continue serving until a permanent replacement is found, should be given a one-time compensation or award at the end of their service period.
Any Pemangku Penghulu and Ketua Kampung who have shown high performance, even if they do not have the required academic qualifications under the new scheme, should be given the opportunity to be nominated as candidates and let the villagers decide whether to choose them or not.
Kaola has one more question, Your Honorable Speaker.
Government houses in urban areas that are vacant, unoccupied, and neglected until they become dilapidated are not being managed.
Question:
What is the action plan of the District Office or Municipal Council in all four districts to inventory the government houses and flats that have been unoccupied for a long time, and is there a plan to involve government agencies in a Whole of Government Approach to assess and modify these empty houses and flats or repurpose them as homes for the less fortunate or facilities for specific groups such as MPK institutions and NGOs?
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and thank you, Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs. Before I conclude, may I apologize and take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all uniformed officers and rescuers in the Ministry of Home Affairs, who carry out their duties with dedication and sacrifice their time to ensure the safety of the country. Thank you. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and thank you also to Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin. Regarding local children's businesses, it is indeed specific to Bumiputeras. If the Honorable Member sees non-Bumiputeras, it is not due to lack of monitoring. Actually, we need to check who brought them first.
For your information, Honorable Members, Pasarneka Seria, for example, has not been used for a long time due to lack of response from traders due to its less strategic location. Therefore, the Kuala Belait and Seria Municipal Department has made various efforts to attract more traders to operate and sell in the market. This is also specific to Bumiputeras. As a recent example, an advertisement was opened from 7 to 21 February 2023, and only 5 were interested in filling the Pasar Aneka Seria.
For the information of Honorable Members, there are 38 traders who sell at Tamu Kampung Baru, Sungai Bera, which is currently closed due to the place being unsafe for trading based on the assessment of the Ministry of Health.
All of this shows interest in continuing to trade in the Pasar Aneka and the efforts of the Kuala Belait and Seria Municipal Council can be implemented. If this project is successful, the aspirations of all Municipal Offices except for the Temburong District, for example, can be fulfilled if all these traders are given the opportunity to trade 7 days a week.
- Monday to Wednesday at Pasar Aneka Seria;
- Thursday to Friday at Tamu Tutong;
- While Saturday and Sunday at Tamu Tudung Saji Kuala Belait.
Actually, these vendors, although they trade in Tutong, also trade in Belait and Seria to sell their goods.
Regarding the Bumiputera Shop in Kuala Belait and Seria, actually the rental contract on the second floor has just ended with Brunei Shell Company, so now the Kuala Belait and Seria Municipal Department will open bids to interested traders consisting of only Bumiputeras, and the ground floor and first floor are still operating and occupied by Bumiputera traders, under the control of the Kuala Belait and Seria Municipal Department.
Any other empty commercial shops are not under the jurisdiction of the Honorable Municipal Board Members.
Regarding the empty houses, actually the Ministry of Finance and Economy has a committee to handle these buildings. Since last year, empty buildings that are not used have been inventoried. Maybe I cannot inform you of the purpose of the building.
Indeed, the committee is chaired by the Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy and the Honorable Minister of Development to continue the use of empty buildings, whether they are used or not, only Your Honorable Speaker can answer.
Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. The issue of empty government buildings at this time does have a committee to investigate these matters. Currently, we are working with the Ministry of Development to inventory all government buildings so that if there are ministries that have empty buildings under their care that are not used, they can be centralized into one inventory.
If there are other ministries that can use the buildings, they can be given or reassigned to other ministries. So it is no longer held by the original ministry until it is abandoned, not maintained, and so on. This is an effort for us to centralize our government buildings so that they can be further optimized in terms of their use and maintenance.
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Your Honorable Speaker. One more thing that I have not answered regarding the dismissed Village Head is that if following the new scheme, the minimum requirement for approval is 10 years of service. So, anyone who has completed more than 10 years of service, or anyone who does not meet the academic requirements, will be terminated. Indeed, they are given compensation after being terminated and not left alone. That's all, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
I now invite Your Honorable Mr. Haji Daud bin Jihan.
Your Honorable Mr. Haji Daud bin Jihan
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم السالم عليكم ورحمة هللا وبركاته
Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude and congratulations to the Minister of Home Affairs for presenting the Ministry of Home Affairs Budget earlier this morning. أ َ ْل َح ْم ُد ّ ٰلِل
I would like to raise the issue of stray animals. This issue has been raised in this august House during the previous session. Due to the numerous complaints and grievances from the people and residents of Brunei Darussalam, I am compelled to raise it again in this session. The problem is focused on stray dogs that do not have owners or have owners who do not take care of them.
This issue has become a topic of discussion among the people not only in residential areas and commercial areas but also in school areas and government department areas. In residential areas, it poses a danger to residents, especially young children who play in their homes. In school areas, it poses a danger to students, parents, teachers, and school staff. Moreover, the waste from these animals is scattered in school areas.
I would like to thank the Ministry of Home Affairs and the relevant departments for taking many actions, and I understand that there is also assistance from NGOs to solve this problem. However, there are still complaints and grievances that we hear. This was heard from the Ministry of Home Affairs' Consultative Session with the Honorable District Representatives.
Dogs that cause this problem will be captured and then placed in a place to be injected and then take care of their health. After these dogs are healthy, they will be released again. This will create a new problem for the new location because the place where these captured dogs are stored is close to residential areas. These dogs are released because the cost of providing food for them is very high.
This problem has become a national problem, so farmers should not expect the Ministry of Home Affairs alone to handle this problem. Here, perhaps the Whole of Government Approach plays a role or is used in the hope that this matter will be handled as soon as possible before it becomes more troublesome for the people of Brunei Darussalam. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, and also thank you to Your Honorable Awang Haji Daud bin Jihan regarding the issue of stray dogs. As we have discussed with the Honorable Members, it is understood that the Municipal and District Departments are collaborating with these NGOs.
It is understood that running a place especially for these dogs is expensive, so if I have made plans, Your Honorable Speaker, to inform the Honorable Members on how these NGOs carry out their duties.
One of the initiatives taken by the Ministry and the District and Municipal Offices is to negotiate with relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) to provide them with a large place to house these captured dogs for vaccination. Currently, there is an area in Subuk with an area of 5.2 acres, but it is not large enough due to the increasing number of dogs being captured. So, in terms of feeding, the monthly cost is high. In the district or municipal departments, licenses for these dogs are issued. These licenses are issued for a period of one year, and the revenue from these licenses is kept and used as government revenue.
This is what I would like to discuss to ensure a whole-of-government, whole-of-nation approach. If we look at NGOs - or volunteers, as I would like to call them - they are trying to help the government. They also receive donations from donors. So, I agree with the suggestion made by the Honorable Member that this is not a one-sided implementation, but a whole-of-government approach must be applied.
That's all, Your Honorable Pehin. Regarding these dogs, ان شاء هللا the Municipal or District Department is always working together to ensure that these dogs do not roam around. أ ْلح ْمدُ ِ هلِلalso with the cooperation of these NGOs. That's all I can convey for now, Your Honorable Pehin.
Your Honorable Speaker
I now invite Your Honorable Haji Awang Sulaiman bin Haji Nasir.
Your Honorable Haji Awang Sulaiman bin Haji Nasir
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, and greetings. Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members. أ ْلح ْمدُ ِ هلِلfirst of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks for the enlightening and introductory speech given by Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs this morning regarding the departments under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Your Honorable, Kaola is pleased to touch on the topic of SE12A Department of Fire and Rescue Services. In this honorable house, I will discuss the issues given to me, even though they may have been proposed before, but perhaps there was no luck from the fire department's side. As mentioned by our colleague, the Honorable Dr. Awang Haji Mahali bin Haji Momin, the tasks performed by the fire and rescue team are indeed significant and challenging because their duties are closely related to the community. Hopefully, with this proposal, they will receive good attention and consideration from the relevant authorities.
There are three (3) proposals that will be presented, namely:
Request for a change in the salary scale for fire department officers and members, as the current salary scale is still at a low level.
Request for the retention of living allowances after retirement from service, just like retirees who receive monthly pension benefits, as some retirees are still burdened with unpaid loans and family members who are still in school.
As mentioned by the Honorable Minister of Home Affairs earlier, the fire hydrants will be repaired with the allocation provided. However, an explanation is requested on how to address the issue of stolen fire hydrant components, which makes it difficult for the fire department to operate in case of emergencies.
Perhaps that is all I can present. Before I conclude, I would like to express my gratitude for the enlightening speech by the Honorable Minister of Home Affairs earlier today. Thank you, Your Honorable.
The Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Thank you also to the Honorable Haji Awang Sulaiman bin Haji Nasir. Praise be to Allah, I would like to inform that the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Fire and Rescue Department are currently studying the service scheme of the Fire and Rescue Department. That is all I can present.
Secondly, a request was made to retain living allowances after retirement from service. As explained by the Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and Minister of Finance and Economy II, this is also part of the SPK. Everyone, including those who do not receive pensions, will receive benefits based on the SPK calculation. Therefore, if it is not possible to retain it, we will inform you. There is a new retirement scheme that will cover what the Honorable Member has raised.
Regarding the issue of frequently damaged fire hydrants, if we consider it as a public utility, then the role of village chiefs and district heads is crucial in ensuring that they are not damaged. As most of these fire hydrants are located in villages, it is our responsibility to ensure that they are not damaged, as the damage is caused by those who take spare parts or intentionally damage them.
That is what I would like to inform during my opening remarks earlier, that 800 of these fire hydrants have been identified for phased repairs. In the future, the whole of government or the role of grassroots levels will play an important role in ensuring that these fire hydrants are safe and not stolen.
That's all Your Honorable that I can convey.
Your Honorable Speaker
I now invite Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf.
Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Your Honorable Speaker, on this occasion, I am pleased to share with other Honorable Members to congratulate the Minister of Home Affairs for presenting a comprehensive budget for 2023/2024 for the Ministry of Home Affairs, which includes strategic features and action plans that have been identified to achieve targets that encompass grassroots leaders and the surrounding community and stakeholders. All of which aim to improve the capacity and participation of the people and residents of Brunei Darussalam in order to strengthen socio-economic, well-being, sustainable and quality of life, which is our hope, Insha Allah, to achieve with full commitment, dedication and strong cooperation from all relevant stakeholders.
Your Honorable Speaker, what I have noticed here is that almost all the issues that I want to raise have already been raised by my fellow Honorable Members. However, I would like to raise some issues in this chamber:
Regarding the issue of concerns and worries of investors, traders, and entrepreneurs, especially those who have been living in Brunei Darussalam for a long time, some for more than 20 years. When they reach the age of 55, some of them are sometimes not allowed to apply for the Foreign Worker License at the Labor Department and therefore cannot be allowed to stay in the country, and some of them have their stay shortened in the country.
As we all know, they have invested their finances, not only hundreds of thousands of dollars but possibly millions of dollars, have owned various forms of businesses, companies, properties, and have felt safe and happy to continue living in this country because of the political stability, security, prosperity, harmony, and the existence of a decent way of life based on Malay Islamic Monarchy.
The factors that we should pay attention to appropriately are:
i. They contribute and strengthen economic activities and activities related to their businesses or companies.
ii. They provide job opportunities for local children. If they are not allowed to continue living in this country, not only will their companies be closed, but it will also bring great risks or losses to the country, not only losing jobs for local children, but also financial outflows, reducing economic activities, businesses related to this incentive, or backbone to foreign investors or traders because they see this situation negatively and sometimes some of them are not allowed to sell their property in this country.
Therefore, investors and traders who may face this situation when they reach the age of 55 or future investors who are less confident to start a business because they want their investment to be secure in the future. This means that investment security is something we need to pay attention to.
I conclude that in matters like this, as I have mentioned earlier, we need to think together about the risks, losses, and negative impacts on the socio-economic development of the country. This also affects the country's image, as I mentioned earlier. It seems that we are no longer welcoming potential investors or traders to open and start businesses in this country. In the meantime, what I can gather is that this policy seems to contradict the concept or policy of ease of doing business and to attract more investors, especially foreign direct investment.
The question now is how can we instill confidence in the group facing the problems that you mentioned earlier, so that they continue to invest and perhaps have plans to expand their business in this country.
As you may know, in several countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and Canada, investors and businesses with high investments consider obtaining Permanent Resident status because they know the potential for further economic development and expansion in their respective countries.
What I mean here is that they should be considered for Permanent Resident status in Brunei Darussalam or be granted a long-term stay in the country under certain conditions to ensure that they feel secure, confident to continue their investment, and assured in Brunei Darussalam.
As usual, this group has already been considered for Permanent Resident status with certain conditions that do not compromise the safety, security, peace, and do not affect the MIB concept of our country. We do have procedures to trace their history records and ensure their safety, but I will not elaborate on this matter.
However, in situations like this, it is critical if we do not think about the current situation faced by traders and investors.
Therefore, I hope that if there is any enlightenment from the Honorable Minister of Home Affairs in jointly addressing the issue raised by the speaker. There are two more issues that the Honorable Minister of Home Affairs may want to respond to regarding this issue.
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, and thank you also to the Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf for the question raised.
In responding to investors or company owners when it comes time to retire according to their age, they are directed to return to their home country even though they have been living or investing in Brunei Darussalam for a long time.
The Ministry of Home Affairs through the Labor Department has provided a policy. This policy is based on job categories, age limits, and also the positions. Through this policy, it indirectly provides job opportunities for locals. Based on the explanation or question raised by the Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf, whether Permanent Resident or long-term pass is granted. Indeed, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Immigration and National Registration Department are currently assessing the suitability of granting long-term passes to these individuals to stay in Brunei Darussalam and continue their business. So, this is not contradictory to the policies introduced, Insha Allah. Moreover, in the Permanent Resident category for contributors, there are already plans to implement it. There are things that require research and, Insha Allah, in the near future, the requirements related to this contributor category will be finalized.
That is all I can explain to those concerned. So if they are directed to leave, before being directed to leave, there is a committee or agency in the Ministry of Finance and Economy (IBE) where company owners according to their age limits are referred to IBE whether they are to be given their immigration passes or otherwise. Based on the support of IBE, the action of the Labour Department to implement those policies, the suggestion of the Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf regarding Permanent Residents for the contributor category or long-term pass will be examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs and will be shared with other Honorable Members. That is all the Honorable Member can convey, thank you.
Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd. Yusuf
Thank you, Your Honorable. As we understand, the Immigration and National Registration Department is always crowded with customers.
Your Honorable Chairman
It would be better if the question is continued without a lengthy introduction because other Honorable Members will also participate in this discussion.
Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd. Yusuf
Kaola means the application to the Immigration and National Registration Department.
At one point, the public lined up until outside the building. Some waited from 6.00 am just to get their applications considered. In this matter, I would like to request clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs. What are the strategies or initiatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Immigration and National Registration Department to update and improve services to the public to be effective, efficient, and also of quality in a more friendly and conducive environment to avoid incidents that occurred in the past?
Building taxes are collected in the Bandaran area, Bandar Seri Begawan by the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Board. As we all know, the Municipal Board area has been expanded from 12.87 square kilometers to 100.38 square kilometers which was enforced on August 1, 2007. This certainly can increase the government's revenue exponentially. In this regard, I am also pleased to request an explanation about the collection of building taxes from 2012 to 2022. Also, the current amount of outstanding taxes that have not been settled. What are the proposed steps to ensure the effectiveness of settling those arrears?
In kaola's recollection, 12 years ago, two experts were brought in from Malaysia to conduct research and investigation on the tax system in the Bandar Seri Begawan area to improve and make it more systematic with current developments. The Bandar Seri Begawan Master Plan, which was completed more than ten years ago, should also be reviewed to serve as a roadmap or guide for planning and development. This includes the desire to beautify and develop the Bandar Seri Begawan area to be more livable, dynamic, and resilient.
In both of these matters, may I have an update on the progress and actions taken regarding the two issues?
I would like to continue with Your Honorable Speaker's concern about the condition of the Selera Guest Stall. It seems that the stall's condition is very distressing. I will focus on upgrading or renovating it, or relocating it to another place so that it does not appear shameful, especially among tourists visiting Bandar Seri Begawan. Furthermore, Your Honorable Speaker, I would like to raise the issue of the Anugerah Kampong Cemerlang. It was previously organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which somewhat touched on the harmony, welfare, and excellence of villages and communities. I congratulate the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the initiative introduced and revived. I do not need to touch on the background of the AKC, which has already been held three times in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
Your Honorable, the AKC is a very good initiative aimed at advancing villages and rural areas in line with their role in driving activities and programs from the grassroots level by uniting local residents and communities. It also aims to unite village children, so that the welfare of village children can be maintained and life can be close-knit and united in improving the ability of village communities through the institution of Penghulu-Penghulu, Mukim and also Mukim and village consultation councils to enable them to develop more rapidly in their respective villages.
It also aims to elevate and highlight villages as role models and guides to other villages.
Furthermore, there is also a connection to the 1 Village 1 Product program, which is aimed at realizing and promoting the 1 Village 1 Product program more successfully in the future. Therefore, in line with the goals and objectives that I have stated earlier, I hope that the Ministry of Home Affairs will revive the Anugerah Kampung Cemerlang award. That is all I have to say. Once again, I would like to express my highest gratitude to Your Honorable Speaker for giving me the opportunity to share the information that I have presented. Thank you.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Thank you also to Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf for the questions and suggestions given.
Regarding the Immigration and National Registration Department, especially in handling customer services, it is undeniable that during December 2022, the public had to queue as early as 3.00 am to get service numbers, but Alhamdulillah, for example, for the Passport and Identity Card section, the Work Pass section, I will answer them one by one.
For the Identity Card section, the efforts of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Immigration and National Registration Department are to add counters and increase the number of officers on duty. Currently, service counters for Identity Cards are crowded in halls such as the Dewan Lela Cheteria, the Royal Customs and Excise Department, and for Green Identity Cards, in the Dewan Bandaran and Dewan Santap, District Offices.
To ensure that those who queue or the number of people to be served can be increased, Alhamdulillah, the feedback from the public is also very encouraging. This is the reason why the Passport section was opened when the border was opened, so that the public started coming to make passports.
The issue that arose at that time was that only one printer was functioning. Therefore, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Immigration and National Registration Department took action to appoint a company to perform maintenance. As a result, three printers were able to be implemented.
Praise be to Allah, the number of working shifts was increased to three. This means that some employees worked until 12 midnight to complete these passports. And according to the situation, Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf was involved.
Praise be to Allah, for now, the Public Care Initiative (TPOR) has been fulfilled as promised. And praise be to Allah, three new passport printers are currently in the testing stage, which will replace the old printers, which in terms of printing capacity could be double what the old printers could print.
So, the addition of employees and the addition of working shifts are some of the efforts made. And the cooperation of the public is very important in understanding the duties and responsibilities of the Immigration and National Registration Department, especially the Identification Card and Passport Division. And this service counter is open from 7.30 am to 7.00 pm.
The feedback received, I received, the public is very grateful for the opening, especially for those who work. They come to the office to make passports after work at 4.30 pm rather than during lunchtime.
These are the efforts of the department, and they are still being maintained in the districts.
Regarding property tax, I also thank Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd. Yusuf for raising this issue.
Actually, many initiatives have been made by the City Department, especially the Ministry of Home Affairs, to collect these property taxes.
So, this outstanding issue has been raised for a long time. For example, the total amount collected by the Ministry of Home Affairs, including the Immigration and National Registration Department and the City Departments, is $22.76 million. That includes the services of the Immigration and National Registration Department and the City Departments. However, this outstanding tax is still significant at $60.7 million, as I mentioned earlier. Various efforts have been made, such as issuing warning letters, taking legal action through the Attorney General's Office, establishing a Task Force Recovery, establishing a Credit Control Unit (CCU), and using online payment to facilitate those who will pay taxes. However, if we look at the revenue collection from April 2022 to January 2023, only a small amount of the target of $20 million was collected, with only $40 million collected.
Actually, Your Honorable, it is the responsibility of building owners to implement or pay taxes to the government. The Municipal Departments and the Ministry of Home Affairs will strive to ensure that the infrastructure under municipal control is always maintained.
However, this matter requires a Whole of Government Approach, including involving other ministries such as the Ministry of Development, the Department of Water Services, the Public Works Department, the Drainage and Sewerage Department, and the Department of Electrical Services. What we often hear, Your Honorable, is that building taxes are paid but services given are slow. So there is no give and take.
I will discuss this with the relevant ministries on how to ensure that any complaints regarding these facilities are handled quickly to ensure that tenants also pay promptly. Thank you, Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf, regarding the Master Plan for Bandar Seri Begawan, the road map will be studied. Insha'Allah, I will occupy it. The Ministry of Home Affairs has planned to undertake this Master Plan.
Regarding the Gerai Tamu Selera, the initial intention was to relocate it. However, there have been negotiations with the traders there with the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure how we can improve the Gerai Tamu Selera. The place is frequented by the public for drinking and sitting, but the condition there is very disappointing.
Insha'Allah, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Municipal Department will work with the entrepreneurs there to determine their responsibilities and the responsibilities of the municipality to ensure that the facilities there are maintained. Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf, we do not want to relocate it for fear that there will be no customers and the traders' income will be affected.
Regarding the AKC, I will examine the suitability of revising this AKC. Since the Village Heads and Chiefs, along with the Service Scheme, have KPIs to ensure that the villages they oversee are as desired, including 1K1P, as I explained in the introduction. I currently see that 1K1P has a high impact that can generate income or supply domestically or abroad. That's all, Your Honorable Speaker, my answer. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
Thank you, Your Honorable Minister. I now invite Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim.
Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to express my views.
بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم
Your Honorable Speaker, Honorable Members السالم عليكم ورحمة هللا وبركاته greetings.
First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs for sharing the focus areas that will be implemented in the Financial Year 2023/2024.
أ ْلح ْمدُ ِ هلِلFrom my observation, it appears that there are many initiatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs that have been, are being, and will be implemented, for which I congratulate and commend the Ministry.
Actually, the first issue that I would like to raise is regarding the collection of revenue and arrears, but as it has already been raised by Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf and has been answered clearly by Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs, I do not need to repeat it.
If I may supplement a little under Account Code - 1115-004 - Kampung Air Reconstruction Development, as raised by Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf, because I myself was one of the officers who was instrumental in supporting the provision of this allocation about 8 years ago.
Actually, the first issue that I would like to raise is regarding the collection of revenue and arrears, but as it has already been raised by Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusuf and has been answered clearly by Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs, I do not need to repeat it.
If we look at Kampung Air, most of the households there do not consist of only one gender, but sometimes there are 2, 3, and 4 genders living together. So, let us imagine the comfort of the residents, especially the children living in such households.
Therefore, the initial objective of the Kampung Air Housing Project is to provide comfortable housing for eligible residents in the Kampung Air area. With the comfort of the residents, especially their children, they will have space to learn, interact and have fun. In sha Allah, with this comfortable environment, it is hoped that it will help improve the academic achievement of these children. In addition, this project will also modernize the Kampung Air area by having safe and organized facilities such as sewerage systems, water and electricity. Hopefully, it will also attract tourists. I hope this project can be implemented as soon as possible.
Regarding the issue of Kampung Air, it is related to the cleanliness of the Brunei River. Several years have passed and perhaps this project is still ongoing because the government has implemented a project to collect waste in Kampung Air. I understand that this project is still ongoing, Alhamdulillah, a good and virtuous effort. However, I would like to know the effectiveness of this project. Has it been able to reduce waste? If it is not effective, what are the steps that can be taken to address this issue holistically? I understand that the source or cause of this waste is not only from Kampung Air but also from nearby villages on land.
I understand that there have been continuous government warnings in the media about those who dispose of waste and those who have been found guilty have been punished. In other countries, one way they prevent and cultivate cleanliness is to increase the amount of fines for those who are found guilty and the offender must undergo community service. This is a deterrent. Does the Ministry of Home Affairs intend to investigate this matter? I think this initiative will be successful in reducing waste and may also cultivate public appreciation for a clean environment.
Since the Bandarku Ceria Program was introduced several years ago, Alhamdulillah, Bandar Seri Begawan has become a place for recreation and a place for Micro and Small Entrepreneurs to earn a living and market their products, whether in the form of food or other services. However, the time is somewhat limited only on Sundays until 12 noon. Nevertheless, Alhamdulillah, it is already good enough to provide space and opportunities for local traders to do business and encourage young people to venture into business.
Your Honorable, the question is whether there are any new efforts to brighten up the city, especially at night, and provide more business opportunities for local youths. At the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Building, activities have been held for the public to do business. Is it possible to relocate these activities to a specific area at the pier for food and beverage outlets?
This proposal is made at the request of the public, especially the residents of Kampung Air, to revive the Residency Stall, which they call the Kianggeh Food Court, not Kentucky Fried Chicken. This is because the residents of Kampung Air used to stop by to eat before taking the water taxi home. It is very useful at night because most of the restaurants in the city are already closed. In addition, people often bring foreign visitors to eat there at night while enjoying the beauty of Kampung Air.
The reopening of this stall will also provide opportunities for micro and small entrepreneurs to increase their income and further brighten up the city. However, parking spaces also need to be considered to facilitate visitors to the area.
Furthermore, Bandar Seri Begawan was originally in the 1960s and until the 1980s, the center of public administration, commerce, and financial services, where government departments and financial institutions were located before they moved to Berakas and Gadong areas. Despite this, there are still many government offices and historical buildings that can be preserved as tourist attractions.
In other countries, there are efforts to turn such historical places into tourist attractions by providing historical details and some are also used as places to entertain government officials and private sector visitors. Is there any suggestion to investigate the availability of such initiatives?
In addition, it is also good to have regulations requiring all commercial and dilapidated buildings in the city to be given a facelift so that the city will always be clean, attractive, and cheerful.
Finally, one of the government's efforts to make Brunei Darussalam a business-friendly country is to directly involve in improving the processes involving both the Immigration and Registration Department and the Labor Department. Alhamdulillah, I realize that many initiatives and improvements have been implemented by both departments.
This matter is also related to the country's efforts to attract more high-quality Foreign Direct Investors to the country. In other countries, one of the variables that attracts Foreign Investors is the long-term pass policy based on the specific needs of those countries. This policy is not intended to grant citizenship to these Foreign Investors, but it is to facilitate their entry into the country and engage in economic activities. This long-term pass is usually given for a period of 5 years, which can be reviewed for renewal or subject to the country's needs.
With this assurance, it will enable and facilitate these investors to make investments, such as in the trade and service sectors, schooling their children, establishing businesses with local partners, and others. This will certainly bring in financial flows to the country and can bring positive spin-offs and multiply e-packs to local economic activities, including PMKS.
Therefore, I would like to request clarification from the Honorable Minister of Home Affairs whether the Ministry has plans to study or implement such a policy. However, a control mechanism, especially in terms of specific criteria, regulations, and monitoring for the granting of this long-term pass, must be formulated so that this facility will not be misused in the future. Thank you.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Thank you also to the Honorable Member for the question and suggestion. Regarding the development of Kampung Air as suggested by the Honorable Member, it will be implemented as soon as possible and ان شاء هللاthis matter has been discussed with the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Development with the scope of work to be carried out to ensure that the allocations provided are affordable for those who will live in the houses that will be built.
Regarding the cleanliness of the Brunei River, at present, garbage collection from house to house is carried out by JASTRE and the cleaning of the rivers may be added by the Honorable Minister of Development. Regarding the effectiveness of cleaning the Brunei River, there are initiatives under the Main Committee on Cleanliness Issues chaired by the Honorable Minister of Development and its members, the Honorable Minister of Health and myself have our own task forces, and at present, higher education institutions are also involved in creating prototypes of machines that can be used to clean the Brunei River. Actually, there are many things that can be implemented in one project.
In terms of community service, there are already actions related to community service offenders, but the responsible minister is the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. The court imposes the sentence to carry out community service. In sha Allah, this matter will be conveyed to Your Honorable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports for further explanation.
As Your Honorable is aware, the objective of Bandarku Ceria is to provide opportunities for our local entrepreneurs. If you observe, every week there are many tents set up for them to do business and they keep 100% of the profits.
Regarding KFC, the Bandar Department is actually collaborating with the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation. If Your Honorable also observes, there are push carts installed in the middle of the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex.
To further enliven the area around the pier, there are plans to invite our youth who want to do business and there will also be seating areas for dining there to liven up the area. Perhaps for the start, certain areas will be filled, so if there is a certain response, it will be expanded along the pier.
If you observe overseas, these riverfront areas are a tourist attraction and also a gathering place for our people with their families. The two buildings owned by the Bandar Department near the energy hub have also been explored to be filled by our youth to ensure they have a chance to do business and perhaps for the One Village One Product (1K1P) program, souvenirs will be a tourist attraction in the future, in sha Allah.
In terms of preservation, if you observe in the Bandar Seri Begawan area, there are many old buildings, for example, the Secretariat Building which is currently occupied by RTB and preserved in terms of its original structure. Perhaps the Tourism Department also has its own plans in terms of preserving the original form of these old buildings from the past.
This facelift regulation has suggestions or perhaps the ministry has already taken action to ensure that building owners in this Bandar area also ensure that their buildings are well-maintained. For example, the Bandar Department is only painting in the Bandar area to ensure that it does not look dull and looks more cheerful.
"That for painting in terms of colorful, but to preserve the building, it is indeed a good suggestion. The Immigration and National Registration Department and the Labour Department are currently granting long-term passes to those who have family ties, for example, their stepmother who married a foreigner.
As mentioned by Your Honorable, the granting of long-term passes to investors has been postponed by the ministry, and the Immigration and National Registration Department only needs to set criteria, as mentioned by Your Honorable earlier, to prevent any misuse.
There will be criteria to allow investors and traders who we think can contribute to the economy of Brunei Darussalam to be granted long-term passes and multiple entry visas.
So when it comes to them living in Brunei Darussalam, their families can also own certain properties in Brunei Darussalam that can contribute to the economy. This is the desire of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Immigration and National Registration Department to help diversify the economy of Brunei Darussalam.
Your Honorable Minister of Development
Your Honorable Speaker also added to the question raised by Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim regarding the efforts to clean up the Brunei River. It is true that the term contract for cleaning up the Brunei River is still ongoing until now, and in enhancing this effort, an allocation approval has been made and presented in our meeting, namely an allocation for the Financial Year 2023/2024 through the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation will carry out efforts to further strengthen the cleaning up of the Brunei River more efficiently by using efficient and up-to-date methods and technologies such as using a boat skimmer butcher, trash barriers. This includes infrastructure work such as installing trash traps on drainage outlets to prevent waste from entering the river from land.
It is also pleased to inform that in our effort of the Whole of Nation Approach, Whole of Government Approach, committees as mentioned by Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs earlier, a Main Committee on Cleanliness Issues chaired jointly by Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Health and Minister of Development through 3 main focuses, namely facilities and legal services, awareness and public involvement."
At present, a committee is working on a method to increase public awareness on cleanliness practices through the publication of a book.
Regarding enforcement, throughout 2022, several compound actions have been taken. This includes 228 individuals and 117 companies who have been fined for littering in public places, including dumping waste in rivers, especially in the Brunei River.
This matter can be detected through the method implemented by this committee, which is the installation of CCTV monitoring systems. The behavior of littering that violates the law can be detected and recorded as evidence to take action. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
I now invite Your Honorable Awang Lawi bin Haji Lamat.
Your Honorable Awang Lawi bin Haji Lamat
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
َّ الرحْ َٰم ِن الرحْ يم َّ ّٰللا ِ ِبس ِْم ه
ِ السَّال ُم عل ْي ُك ْم ورحْ مةُ هللاand greetings of peace أ ْلح ْمدُ ِ هلِلfirstly, I would like to express my gratitude for the enlightenment provided by Your Honorable regarding the Ministry of Home Affairs this morning.
I have one question and one suggestion.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Department of Labour, has enforced a limit on the service fee for Domestic Workers not exceeding $2,000.00. What is the feedback or outcome after the implementation of this fee limit enforcement since it was enforced?; and
أ ْلح ْمدُ ِ هلِلcurrently, the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Brunei-Muara District Office, is actively conducting the election of village head and chiefs and has made appointments for the position of Village Head since 2022.
My suggestion is for villages that do not have candidates for village head and chiefs, even though it has been advertised or filled, to allow incumbents who have held the position of Village Head and Chiefs for more than 5 years to be appointed through an interview and election process.
Even though they may not be qualified academically, but in terms of experience, they are capable of performing their duties better. Give these incumbents the opportunity and support to continue serving their beloved village. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and thank you, Your Honorable, for one question and one suggestion.
"Praise be to Allah" following the implementation of this fee limit, there has been a positive response from the public and for your information, 74 companies have re-registered and 71 agencies have been issued licenses to hire these workers.
Feedback from the public has been positive regarding the controlled prices. At present, the Department of Labor ensures that these employment agencies comply with the necessary requirements. For example, to ensure that the services provided to customers are in accordance with the agreement between the employment agency and their respective customers.
Regarding the appointment of Village Chiefs and Headmen who have held their positions for 5 years, this is the role of the Village Chiefs and Headmen to ensure that if there is no one qualified to be appointed in a particular village, the ministry requires confirmation from the relevant Village Chiefs and Headmen.
With this confirmation, since the service scheme has been enforced and this is for justice to ensure that there is really no one qualified in the village. So the process of appointing Village Chiefs and Headmen is a requirement for the voting process.
This voting process, if we look at the results, sometimes there are those who support and those who do not support. That is the voice of the villagers themselves in choosing their respective leaders.
Therefore, based on the service scheme, it is implemented and if there is no one qualified, we may negotiate with the ministry on how to ensure that the position of Village Chief is filled if there are no qualified candidates, but confirmation from the Village Chiefs is required. Thank you.
Your Honorable Speaker
I invite Your Honorable Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin.
Your Honorable Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
Your Honorable Speaker and wise Honorable Members. Kaola would like to refer to the Department of Labor and Immigration and National Registration Department. Soon, the National Labor Management System and National Immigration Registration System, which are two in one, will be implemented for the application of foreign workers online.
This is a very good strategy as it can speed up the approval process and avoid or reduce nepotism and cronyism as there are fast and slow applications. So the TPOR for the previous Labour Department was 7 days. If it involves outsiders, it may take longer.
Kaola's questions:
How long does it take for online applications to be approved for the Labour Department and immigration visas? Business people usually want it to be fast. That is the main concern.
Regarding the One Village One Product (1P1K) program, Alhamdulillah, the Ministry of Home Affairs has collaborated with Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) and the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) to promote and further develop the 1P1K program. However, the problem faced in this business, including 1P1K, is the issue of operating costs. Besides the economy of scale to reduce these operating costs, what is the Ministry of Home Affairs' plan to sustain 1P1K in the market for business purposes?
Since the number of foreign workers is about 60,000 people, can our government impose a head tax or a fee of $10.00 or $100.00 on them? It was found that there are many "Alibaba" in front of us. Kaola has also found and seen these workers paying $50.00, $100.00, and some even $200.00 per month to our locals. So what if the government can impose a fee of $100.00 on foreign workers and if it earns $600,000.00 a year. That is just Kaola's suggestion.
Indeed, these foreign workers are under our government who hired them to work. Kaola would like to propose that they take RBA or code share flights that are imposed on the relevant companies. Thank you.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and thank you, Your Honorable. Regarding the National Labour Management System, during the launch, one easy update phase is updating information. Secondly, online applications. The Labour Department cannot yet tell its effectiveness. It is maintained at 7 days. It also involves internal processes and that is why it is maintained at 7 days.
Regarding 1K1P, the question is how we can sustain it. The way is to have a sustainable supply. This means that if the supply of 1K1P is always to business buildings and the products and income are sustainable, those who implement 1K1P can be considered successful.
The work of 60,000 people is what I meant earlier, as explained by Your Honorable's proposal regarding the implementation of the levy is one way. Regarding foreign workers who use Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) flights, we also need to consider that these companies have operational costs and the ticket prices are market-driven. This matter, we leave it to the customer to choose the appropriate flight based on its operational cost, Your Honorable Speaker. That's all I can answer, Your Honorable Speaker. Thank you.
Your Honorable Speaker
I now invite Your Honorable Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan.
Your Honorable Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and Salam Sejahtera. Your Honorable Speaker, first and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the enlightenment provided by Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs this morning regarding the Ministry of Home Affairs.
I would like to touch on the matter of the Village and Mukim Consultative Council, which was launched simultaneously in all regions on February 12, 1993, and has now reached its 30th anniversary. In this regard, are there any changes to the policies and constitution regarding the roles and functions of the VMMC, including governance, membership appointments, and considering additional initiatives such as membership allowances to make it more relevant to changing times? That's all, thank you. Salam.
Your Honorable Minister of Home Affairs
Thank you, Your Honorable Pehin, and thank you to Your Honorable Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan for the question or suggestion this time, Your Honorable Speaker. Regarding the Village and Mukim Consultative Council, as we are aware, the VMMC was established as one of the grassroots bodies, and its membership is voluntary among the village residents.
To answer, so far there have been no policy changes regarding the appointment of VMMC membership. As Your Honorable stated in the introduction earlier, the membership of the VMMC is expanded in terms of its scope of membership. We also need to understand that among the village residents and VMMC members, it is important to work together to develop their respective villages without any ulterior motives to receive incentives and emphasize that membership is voluntary.
At this time, in terms of prefixes, they cannot be given. For example, if we look at the appointed Village Headman and Chief, they do have their own KPIs. The Village and Kampung Consultative Council is at the grassroots level. In terms of effectiveness, if the Council shows its effectiveness to the village itself, the village will progress and the villagers will progress. Therefore, there may be something that can be considered. That's all I have to say, Your Honorable Speaker. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
We would like to thank the Minister of Home Affairs for answering the questions calmly and diligently throughout the day. I think it is time for us to resolve the issues we are facing at the moment and now I will vote on this Title.
Those in favor, please raise your hand. (All members raise their hands in agreement)
It seems that all Honorable Members agree. Therefore, the Ministry of Home Affairs is approved.
Deputy Clerk
The Ministry of Home Affairs for Titles SE01A to SE12A is included in the Schedule.
Your Honorable Speaker
Honorable Members. We are now in a Committee Meeting and I am pleased to adjourn this Committee Meeting to allow us to reconvene in the National Assembly.
(The Committee Meeting is adjourned)
(The National Assembly reconvenes)
Your Honorable Speaker
Honorable Members. We are now reconvening in the National Assembly.
I would like to propose that we adjourn this meeting and reconvene on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at 9.30 am.
That's all, peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings be upon you.
ADJOURNED
(The National Assembly is adjourned)
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