DAY 16 MORNING
25TH MARCH 2023 - MORNING
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(The meeting began at 10.00 am)
Deputy Clerk
The First Meeting of the Nineteenth Session of the National Assembly began on the fifteenth day, today being Saturday, 3rd Ramadan 1444H corresponding to 25th March 2023M, preceded by a Prayer of Safety.
PRAYER OF SAFETY
The Prayer of Safety was recited by His Eminence Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Awang Haji Emran bin Haji Kunchang, (Imam of Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque).
Your Honorable Speaker
الرحْ يم السَّال ُم عل ْي ُك ْم ورحْ مةُ هللاِ وبركاتُه
ألح ْمدُ ِ هلِل We thank سبْحانهُ وتعال َٰى for His abundant mercy and permission that we are able to gather here this morning on the fifteenth day of the First Meeting of the Nineteenth Session of the National Assembly.
Blessings and peace be upon our great leader صلى هللا عليه وسلم, سيدنا محمد, his family, companions, and followers who remained loyal and faithful until the end of time.
Honorable Members. The National Assembly is still discussing the Supply Bill (2023) for the year 2023/2024, which has been proposed by the Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and the Minister of Finance and Economy II.
To enable us to continue discussing and examining the topics contained in this Bill, I propose that we adjourn the National Assembly meeting and convene as a Committee.
(The National Assembly is adjourned)
(The meeting continues as a Committee)
Your Honorable Speaker
The Committee is now fully convened to consider and discuss the Supply Bill (2023) for the year 2023/2024, one by one.
Last Wednesday, the Committee completed the approval of the Budget for the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Health.
Honorable Members. We only have a few days left before entering the month of April. Before us is the National Budget proposed by the Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and the Minister of Finance and Economy II, which needs to be examined and approved promptly.
I advise all Honorable Members to ask brief and focused questions related to the budget so that the relevant ministers can answer concisely.
I believe that other questions that are not related to this venue can be raised by the Honorable Members by meeting with the relevant Cabinet Ministers or in groups to ask such questions because our National Assembly's time is limited and we need to complete our current tasks.
Now, the Committee Meeting moves on to the next topic.
Deputy Clerk
Title SN01A to Title SN09A - Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
Your Honorable Speaker
Honorable Members. The meeting will begin discussing the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
Before this ministry's topic is opened for discussion as usual, I would like to give way to the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications to deliver his opening remarks on the direction towards the budget estimate prepared for this ministry.
I invite the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications.
Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
سم هللا الرحمن الرحيم
السالم عليكم ورحمة هللا وبركاته and greetings. Your Honorable Speaker and respected Members of the National Assembly.
At this opportunity, I would also like to wish everyone in this Chamber a blessed Ramadan, may those who are fasting have a smooth and successful journey in their worship and affairs during this holy month.
Next, I would like to express my gratitude to Your Honorable Speaker for the opportunity given to me to deliver an opening speech regarding the allocation provided and to present the direction of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, also known as MTIC, today.
أ ْلح ْمدُ ِهلِل I, on behalf of all members of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications and its departments, would like to first and foremost, with utmost respect and reverence, present our highest gratitude to the presence of 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 for the gracious royal address during the Opening Ceremony of the Nineteenth Session of the National Assembly on 2nd March 2023.
Your Honorable, among others, His Majesty has touched on the challenges in addressing unemployment issues that can be reduced with the cooperation and strong support from all relevant parties towards increasing the government's productivity by creating a conducive business environment for growth and diversifying the country's economy sources, as well as the commitment to climate change.
In addition, Alhamdulillah, the strategies and policies formulated by the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications are also in line with His Majesty's focus and aspirations, especially in achieving Brunei Vision 2035.
Among others, it aims to support the quality of life through infrastructure development, connectivity systems, advancing research and development related to technology and innovation, as well as advancing inclusive and secure digital information towards making Brunei Darussalam a smart nation, a country that utilizes technology to improve the quality of life through efficient service provision and contributes to sustainable development.
Your Honorable Speaker, I am pleased to share that the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications has completed a mid-term review of the ministry's strategic plan, the MTIC Strategic Plan 2025, in the third quarter of last year.
The purpose of the review is to assess the implementation, current achievements, effectiveness of actions taken, and to identify issues that need to be addressed.
Following the update of the strategic plan and alignment that has been done, can it be concluded that the basic role of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications is to ensure the safety of the transportation sector and cyberspace, improve public welfare through efficient and clean service provision, and utilize technology and facilitation to support sustainable national development.
In this regard, the ministry has highlighted 10 key performance indicators out of 34 performance indicators that have been updated and identified for continuous monitoring. These 10 key performance indicators include aspects such as:
Creating and increasing the number of jobs in the transportation and infocommunications sector in collaboration with the Manpower Planning and Employment Council (MPEC).
In terms of safety, it is to ensure zero major accidents or no major incidents in the transportation sector.
Zero major incidents or no major security incidents for government ICT sharing services.
Ensuring compliance with safety standards in transportation and infocomm operations.
In terms of the development of the transportation sector, the goal is to develop and enhance connectivity in terms of public transportation networks.
Increasing the growth of movement through air transportation while at the same time...
To support the country's commitment to climate change through the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the land transportation sector.
The target is to add and further enhance the digitization of counter services.
Ensuring that residents and businesses have access to more reliable broadband services.
It is to improve the quality of services to the public, where departments that deal with the public have been targeted to achieve at least a 3-star rating (at a good level under the public sector grading and performance program by 2025).
With this, it is hoped that the departments under this ministry will move towards excellence.
Your Honorable Speaker and Members of the National Council.
Based on the theme of the National Budget for the Financial Year 2023/2024, "United in Building a More Prosperous Future" and taking into account the basic role and responsibilities of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications that were shared earlier.
Insha Allah, with the allocation provided, work plans and opportunities for improvement that can enhance and strengthen the contribution of the transportation and infocommunication sectors in national development can be achieved.
For your information, these opportunities for improvement also take into account the public's complaints about the quality of services provided, lessons learned from incidents of road accidents or cyber intrusions that have occurred, and the maintenance of assets that are less satisfactory.
All of these are intended to be systematically addressed according to priorities.
Before I elaborate further on the priorities and focus of the Allocation for the Year 2023/2024, I respectfully present my highest appreciation to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam for the allocation of $163,366,455.00, which consists of 68% of recurrent expenditure and the remaining 32% is made up of development expenditure for the Financial Year 2023/2024 to the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
As shared by Your Honorable Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and Second Minister of Finance and Economy, the 11th National Development Plan has been extended for another year.
This will certainly provide an opportunity for the ministries to focus on resolving delayed projects and to reassess and strengthen the next phase of development programs.
This includes taking into account the suggestions and views presented in this noble House to involve industry and business players in formulating plans or strategies for specific sectors under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
This procedure has already been practiced and I agree that it can be further duplicated and expanded.
For example, in exploring sustainable, advanced, and socio-economically and infrastructurally appropriate public transportation methods in this country.
Consultations with stakeholders and the involvement of experts in planning the direction of the transportation system will be taken.
At present, the initial idea is to create an integrated transportation system that involves a combination of various modes of transportation such as buses, share rides, e-hailing, taxis, and so on.
With the aim of maximizing user convenience and efficiency in terms of time, cost, comfort, safety, accessibility, and reliability.
This initial view is also based on the data and information obtained so far through the Pilot Project, the passenger bus information system that has been implemented. The feasibility of providing a suitable public transportation system will be further explored with a fresh perspective.
Meanwhile, the development expenditure related to the transportation and communication sector for the year 2023/2024 is focused on completing the implementation of the RKN-11 Development Projects related to the construction and upgrading of infrastructure and replacement of critical safety equipment for weather navigation and security control.
To improve the infrastructure and facilities at the Brunei International Airport, especially to replace landing system equipment, repair runways, and improve aerodrome infrastructure, approximately $34,400,000.00 has been allocated.
While to enhance the safety capabilities at the Brunei International Airport, projects to upgrade radar systems, install safety fences, intrusion detection systems, and upgrade security inspection and detection equipment such as the latest x-ray machines have been allocated around $3,400,000.00.
Regarding weather forecasting, an allocation of approximately $4,500,000.00 has been provided for the replacement of airport weather observation systems and the development of a network of automatic weather stations throughout the country. This will assist the Meteorological Department in further improving the dissemination of information to the public, particularly in providing weather warnings.
Furthermore, a budget of $3,000,000.00 has been allocated for the construction of additional telecommunication towers in rural areas. In addition to the provision of upgrading infrastructure and equipment replacement, the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, through the relevant agencies, is also involved in the development of the transportation sector, including land, maritime, and air transport.
Regarding air transport, the Department of Civil Aviation is responsible for safety, control, and the effectiveness of operations and management of Brunei International Airport and has a mission to provide sustainable, safe, efficient, and internationally standardized public air transport services.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a resurgence in the number of passenger and cargo movements through Brunei International Airport. However, we are still in the recovery phase to reach the peak level achieved in 2019.
Previously, we have also seen year-on-year growth in the number of aircraft movements, passengers, and cargo handling. For comparison, in 2022, the number of aircraft movements, passengers, and cargo is still around 30% of the level in 2019.
However, even though we are in the recovery phase, it does not prevent this ministry, particularly the Department of Civil Aviation, from taking proactive action to position our airport in a better position to obtain opportunities to become a sub-regional air transport hub.
For example, following the increase in demand, the Department of Civil Aviation issued another operating certificate to a foreign airline operating cargo flights from Brunei International Airport last December.
Further efforts will be focused on:
Developing cargo handling capabilities;
Developing commercial services;
Enhancing passenger experience, including transit passengers at the airport; and
Strengthening air service agreement relationships to generate growth in passenger, aircraft, and cargo movements through our airport.
Moving on to the maritime sector. The Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam (MPABD) plays a supervisory role in the maritime industry and facilitates its development in Brunei Darussalam.
I would like to clarify that the MPABD Special Budget is not included in the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications Budget Allocation. However, the management of maritime transportation policies falls under the purview of the ministry.
I would also like to share the direction of the maritime transportation sector. It is worth noting that the number of ships entering and leaving through the Muara channel has remained stable over the past few years, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with an average of 10,000 to 11,000 ships per year. However, the number of cruise ships and container and cargo handling has been affected.
Alhamdulillah, the situation is currently in a recovery phase, and with the development plans for the Muara Port by the Muara Port Company, the projects for progress on Pulau Muara Besar and the establishment of an integrated marine maintenance and documentation yard and Muara encourage area, the role of the MPABD will become more prominent and developed. In this regard, their focus for this Financial Year is to:
Manage several maintenance projects and upgrade shipping infrastructure.
Enhance the ability to enforce maritime regulations and safety standards.
Improve the ability to respond to maritime emergencies such as oil spills and others.
Facilitate the development of the maritime industry, including the development of maritime human resources.
Your Honorable Speaker, allow me to further share that in strengthening the ICT infrastructure, the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications is focusing on a budget of around $2 million for this Financial Year to upgrade the Government Data Center and improve the quality and reliability of the National e-Government Shared Services Center through the provision of cloud infrastructure.
In addition, ICT spending also focuses on modernizing the network infrastructure at the data center through the Software Defined Network Infrastructure project. The upgrade of this ICT infrastructure is for the provision of more advanced e-government services that can accommodate the needs of the latest technology developments.
One of the e-government services provided is e-Darussalam, where as of February 2023, a total of 220,196 e-Darussalam accounts have been registered and 191,756 accounts have been activated.
The government also provides services for the public to make complaints, inquiries, and obtain information about non-emergency government services through Talian Darussalam 123.
It has also seen growth in demand in terms of the number of departments and agencies using it as well as the number of types of services. This directly generates job opportunities to accommodate additional calls and services where all call recipients are locals.
Furthermore, in this opportunity, I also want to touch on some of the questions and suggestions that have arisen during discussions on the allocation of other ministries related to the digitization of government services, especially regarding its effectiveness and to avoid duplication and waste of resources and energy.
In this regard, I am pleased to share that several improvement efforts in terms of ICT project management are being monitored through a platform called the Chief Information Officer Forum.
Among the main roles of this CIO forum is to oversee all ICT projects applied for, make alignment and provide priority advice for implementation.
This is also in line with supporting the fiscal consolidation programme and ensuring prudent, high-priority and value-for-money spending.
At the same time, several programs to build human resource capacity in the form of IT project development and management, including change management, have been designed.
This also includes at the senior management level of ministries because the digitization of government services not only involves IT personnel or simply providing access to online services, but it involves a shift in thinking about work processes and how work is done throughout the workflow.
If the desire for full effectiveness and efficiency of digitization is not achieved, it will fall short.
Kaola is also pleased to share that this CIO Forum will also involve industry representatives as an advisory group. Insha'Allah, with these introduced changes, it will be able to address digitization issues that may have been affected by legacy systems' resistance to change and concerns about cyber security.
In addition, a Digital Transformation Steering Committee has been established to identify and implement initiatives that will be included in the public service technology plan, consisting of digital transformation plans for each respective ministry.
The plan aims to encompass the use of digital technology to enhance the productivity of public services, including the industrial sector under the jurisdiction of their respective agencies.
When it comes to digitalization, the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications also pays serious attention to ensuring a safe and secure digital environment for users, whether they are from the government, business, or public sectors.
This is in line with the Digital Economy Masterplan, where cybersecurity is one of the strategic enablers to support the digital economy, especially in ensuring that data, infrastructure, and networks are protected from cyber threats.
As an illustration of these threats, throughout 2022, BruCERT, an agency under Cyber Security Brunei, received a total of 496 reported cases.
Out of these cases, 33% were related to social media, 20% were related to scams, and the rest involved malware, hacking, cyberbullying, and others.
In this regard, through Cyber Security Brunei, several initiatives have been launched in addition to their continuous efforts to spread awareness, knowledge, and advice.
This includes the provision and implementation of policies, such as the Cyber Security Order, to strengthen alignment and governance at the national level, as well as the provision of frameworks and legislation for personal data protection.
In addition, Cyber Security Brunei, together with the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI), also implements various initiatives individually and jointly towards the transition to an increasingly digital lifestyle, such as organizing programs to enhance digital knowledge and skills.
For example, AITI's digital literacy and digital for all training programs aim to educate the public on digital literacy and basic ICT skills.
These programs, introduced since 2019, have involved the participation of members of senior citizen activity centers, village consultative council members, youth groups, and children under the Department of Community Development to attend basic ICT skills training, e-commerce, digital marketing applications, and online cybersecurity for daily use.
Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members,
Other ICT programs are also provided such as workshops on e-commerce, digital marketing, and cyber security conducted by the Department of Community Development. Learning programs on Microsoft Office, cyber security, and graphic design for teenagers aged 12 and above from JAPEM and for children under 12 years old have also been introduced, such as the basic coding program using Scratch and Microbit.
In addition to providing ICT infrastructure and ensuring a safe and secure digital environment, the Kaola Ministry also focuses on developing the ICT industry, particularly in enhancing skills in the latest technology and providing opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises to develop human resources with the necessary skills in current and future technology.
AITI has collaborated with representatives from government ICT agencies and higher education institutions to provide the ICT Industry Competency Framework. It aims to ensure that local ICT professionals have relevant skills to carry out their duties and develop their careers by providing national standards for job roles, competencies, and required training and certification.
Furthermore, AITI also implements the Coding BN program, a specialized technical training program to train participants in coding or programming skills in an effort to equip them with the necessary competencies for the industry and their future skills.
This 6-month program includes a 3-month job placement with local or foreign organizations with the aim of improving participants' job opportunities once they complete their training program.
All of these are catalysts and enablers for a more digital way of life and daily affairs. This also includes the implementation of 3 main projects or flagship projects under the Digital Economy Master Plan 2025, namely the National Information Hub project, which serves as a public data repository.
So far, 10 data providers and 11 data users from various government agencies are using the platform.
The Digital Identity project, which is an enhancement of the existing e-Darussalam system, will use digital identity verification for online access to government services.
The service will also be extended to the business sector to enable them to process business transactions digitally.
The Digital Payment Hub project is a platform that enables integration between various existing payment systems and allows users to make digital payments more easily and quickly.
Moving on to efforts to promote a culture of innovation among students in educational institutions, the public service, and companies in the country.
This ministry, in collaboration with AiTi and several partners, will continue the Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA) program.
This program is one of the drivers to produce innovative products and digital solutions that are in line with current developments and needs.
It has proven to yield significant results where some of the products that were initially competed at the idea or prototype stage have successfully advanced to the commercial stage, penetrating competitive markets.
In addition, in 2022, 4 teams consisting of the winners of BICTA 2022 were selected to represent Brunei Darussalam in the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Award 2022.
2 teams received winner awards and 2 teams received merit awards as mentioned by Your Honorable Minister of Religious Affairs and Your Honorable Minister of Health.
Throughout the participation in APICTA from 2005 to 2022, Brunei Darussalam has successfully won 4 winner awards and 29 merit awards. This certainly shows the competitiveness of local talent at this level.
In addition, it is also shared in this House that the creative ICT industry talent is not overlooked.
This industry is a sector that combines technology, creativity, and innovation to produce digital content and innovative products for the purpose of entertaining, informing, and educating users.
AiTi through the Brunei Content Festival, which was first held last year, is one of the efforts to showcase this growing sector.
The Pitch and Produce program, which was introduced since 2020 through collaboration with the Brunei Radio and Television Department and other broadcasting platforms, has successfully broadcast or publish local talent works to be published on RTB Go, Progressif media, and foreign media such as Astro Oasis.
In addition, AiTi is currently in talks with relevant agencies to hold discussion sessions with local content creators who are facing difficulties in generating income when distributing content through existing online platforms.
Next, another area of responsibility of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications is related to promoting the development of science, technology and innovation research through the Council for Research and Advancement in Technology and Science (CREATES).
An allocation of $300,000.00 for the Financial Year 2023/2024 has been provided from the RKN-11 plan price of $10 million to finance projects consisting of various types of research applied under CREATES, under the clusters of health, energy, agrifood and ICT technology, environment and sustainable development.
In addition to basic research, this program also supports applied development research and action research that is expected to contribute to the country's economy.
For example, as raised during the allocation presentation under the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, there are 2 research projects related to the agricultural sector, namely:
- Investing The Water Quality On Outdoor Prone Farming To Improve The Production Efficency Using Industrial Revolution 4.0 Technology; and
- On Field DNA Testing For Agricultural And Food Products.
Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members. The advancement of technology since several decades ago cannot be denied to have increasingly influenced our society in various ways.
For example, the increase in the use of e-mail, social media and other forms of electronic communication in addition to e-commerce platforms and so on have reduced the need for traditional postal services as these services can deliver information and messages faster and cheaper.
This change is also very significant in our country where the number of mail and package deliveries, which is the core service and revenue of the Postal Services Department, has shown a declining trend from year to year.
For example, the number of mail and package deliveries fell by 40% in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Compared to the highest number in 2016. After 2019, the declining trend continued at a rate of around 30% from year to year until now.
In 2022, the number of mail and package deliveries decreased by 80% compared to the previous peak. Faced with this challenge, the Postal Services Department is determined to adapt and innovate by introducing new services and value-added services to the public.
In this regard, I am pleased to share that in October 2022, the Postal Services Department launched additional services, namely the delivery of medicine through Pos Laju in collaboration with the Pharmacy Services Department, Ministry of Health, and the Red Package Stamp pilot project with the Royal Customs and Excise Department, Ministry of Finance and Economy.
This clearly demonstrates the Postal Services Department's commitment to improving and continuously enhancing its basic postal responsibilities, which are also a global postal service obligation.
Recognizing the need for operational changes in the current transition and realizing that the postal service model needs to undergo changes, I further share that His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has recently approved the new Postal Services Order 2023. This policy formulation is a catalyst for creating corporate postal operations and service systems.
Furthermore, it is a driving force towards promoting a more efficient and competitive postal industry and enabling higher investment in technology such as automation and digitization.
With what has been shared, I hope that the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications staff will always be ready and adaptable to any changes and be aware of the transitions brought about by the passage of time.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to express my highest appreciation to all the Honorable Members for their continuous support and approach in the sector under the control of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
That is all from me, and I hope that all the efforts made will produce the desired results and impact for the progress of the country and the Wawasan Brunei 2035. May Allah's peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
Your Honorable Chairman
Your Honorable Members. We have heard the statement from Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, which was presented clearly and comprehensively regarding the budget allocation for the ministry.
I now open the topic of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications for discussion. To begin, I invite Your Honorable Awang Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan.
Your Honorable Awang Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Kaola expresses congratulations and gratitude for the introduction by Your Honorable on the direction and planning of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications in managing the Supply Bill (2023) 2023/2024, Insha Allah. And not forgetting, kaola would also like to wish everyone a Happy Ramadan.
Regarding the existing road system in Pekan Tutong.
Kaola sees it from the perspective of a user and also a traveler, whether on foot or by bicycle. At the same time, kaola also sees the need to provide a dual carriageway starting from the Tatangan Food Stall on the Tutong Beachfront and ending in front of the Tutong Fire Station. This dual carriageway often results in speeding vehicles and sometimes invites minor accidents.
To create a user-friendly and safe town, public facilities such as pedestrian and bicycle lanes need to be provided so that Pekan Tutong is seen as a smart town. In this regard, kaola suggests that the road system, namely the traffic flow in the Pekan Tutong area, be studied for its suitability by prioritizing other facilities as mentioned earlier.
Next, kaola touches on the topic of SM04A - Department of Civil Aviation or relevant parties. The move to introduce local low-cost flights at this time is considered very appropriate given the increasing demand for this service, especially when our country has entered the transition phase to endemic COVID-19.
It cannot be denied that starting this low-cost flight segment is not easy, but it needs to be considered as this concept is often the choice of users, especially Bruneians, when traveling abroad with their families.
Is there a plan by the government to establish a local low-cost airline company, GLC's? Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, please enlighten us. Thank you.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Thank you also to Your Honorable for the question raised.
Firstly, regarding the road system in Pekan Tutong, I am pleased to inform that one of the responsibilities of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications is to chair the Brunei National Road Safety Council.
Among the roles of the Brunei National Road Safety Council is to assess the safety or risk aspects of a road system or network to prevent accidents.
Therefore, through the Technical and Infrastructure Action Group, visits are made from time to time to areas that have been identified as causing accidents. Regarding urban planning for Pekan Tutong with the road network, it is more towards the role of the Department of Town and Country Planning, including the Ministry of Development under the Public Works Department.
In this regard, I can also share that under the Brunei National Road Safety Council through the Technical and Infrastructure Action Group, we are also considering establishing standards for road safety or road standards to be introduced to ensure road safety in Brunei Darussalam. That's all, Your Honorable Speaker, regarding the road network in Pekan Tutong.
Regarding the possibility of introducing a local low-cost airline company, GLC's, first of all, I would like to share that among the roles of the Ministry through the Department of Civil Aviation is to facilitate the way for any companies that want to introduce services in Brunei Darussalam through international airports.
As mentioned in the preamble, for example, for the handling of cargo services, the Department of Civil Aviation has issued additional certification to new foreign companies that may provide more competitive cargo transportation. In this regard, regarding the proposal to introduce low-cost airlines in Brunei Darussalam.
The Department of Civil Aviation is always ready to facilitate, but regarding its economy and facilities, it is subject to any company that proposes it. It is not the role of the Department of Civil Aviation to create an environment that allows it. Thank you, that's all, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
I would like to invite Your Honorable Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin.
Your Honorable Pengiran Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, peace be upon the Prophet and the messengers.
Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members. I extend my gratitude to the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) for presenting the 2023 Supply Budget and 2023/2024 for the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications with a comprehensive explanation.
Firstly, on behalf of the business community, I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, especially the Land Transport Department, particularly the Director and staff of the department who previously highlighted the outdated processes and the current efforts made by the Director and staff of the department to facilitate the application process for obtaining P - Private and S - Rental permits for commercial vehicles for the purpose of transporting goods. Allow me to share this matter, Your Honorable Speaker.
Initially, the application for or renewal of P and S permits required a complete and thick business proposal, similar to applying for a loan from a bank. This proposal had to be submitted in up to 13 sets and it took a long time to obtain approval. But thanks to Allah, since the previous process was updated and improved by the current Director, it only requires filling out a single form and the approval process only takes a short time.
Your Honorable Speaker, I have 7 issues or matters that I would like to raise and discuss regarding the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
Your Honorable Speaker
Your Honorable can reduce it to only 3 issues.
Your Honorable Pengiran Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin
All of them are important, Your Honorable Speaker, so that the people can hear them, but I will reduce them as you wish.
The first matter is that I am touched to see the public waiting for public buses at existing bus stops, especially when they have been waiting for a long time before the bus arrives at the respective bus stop.
Your Honorable, Kaola believes that this is due to the ineffective public transportation system that has been in place for a long time. Kaola understands that the issue of public transportation has been raised in previous sessions of the National Assembly.
Kaola believes that MTIC and other related ministries do recognize the importance of an efficient public transportation system in ensuring the smooth movement of the people, especially those who need to earn a living and go to work. We do not want to rely solely on cars, which may become more expensive and will somewhat affect the lives of the people, especially those who are less fortunate.
Kaola understands that a study was conducted a few years ago, and strategies were outlined to improve the country's public transportation system, including buses and taxis. أ ْلح ْمدُ ِ هلِل The taxi system, which is currently specific to the Dart system, like Grab in Malaysia, has facilitated transactions and has been well received by the public. Kaola's question is, will the previous plans for public buses be continued? If it is still under consideration, Kaola suggests that Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications expedite the process by opening the project to local or foreign investors who may be interested if there is suitable business and operational capital that benefits the investors, and the company that will operate it can provide the desired service.
Your Honorable Speaker, allow Kaola to touch on the use of road tax stickers. At the end of 2021, Brunei Darussalam became the first country in the region to introduce digital vehicle road tax.
This means that the Land Transport Department (JPD) no longer needs to print stickers that are commonly used. This digital transformation has been well received by various parties and the public because it has made it easier for the public, and if estimated, it can reduce government spending by up to $1 million per year.
For Your Honorable Speaker's information, this road tax sticker is only required for information during roadblocks when the Police and Land Transport Department (JPD) Enforcement Officers conduct inspections and also when involved in accidents.
If the public wants to know whether the vehicle has a valid tax, we already have facilities to obtain this information from the Transport BN application or the Land Transport Department (JPD) website.
However, after a few months at that time, we returned to the old procedure, which was to reprint the relevant road tax sticker and stick it back on the vehicle's front mirror.
Recently, Malaysia announced in the media that the country will introduce a method of road tax without stickers.
Kaola's questions:-
Why did the Road Transport Department (JPD) revert to the old method? Even though it was well received by the public and saved government spending;
Will the digital road tax method be reintroduced by the Road Transport Department (JPD), taking into account the latest steps of our neighboring country; and
Your Honorable Speaker regarding corporatization. The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications has experience in corporatizing government departments into corporate companies and establishing supervisory bodies responsible for supervision and development of the relevant sector.
Examples include:-
The corporatization of the telecommunications industry which led to the establishment of the Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI); and
The corporatization of the port and maritime industry with the establishment of the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam (MPABD).
This is an achievement to be proud of, we can see the growth of the telecommunications, port and maritime sectors following this corporatization effort.
If we look at this region, most neighboring countries already have their own supervisory bodies for the transportation industry, both for land and public aviation transportation. A few examples Kaola shares are:-
The Land Transport Authority Singapore (LTAS) for the land transportation sector; and
The Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM) which supervises the public aviation sector in Malaysia.
In this regard, the transportation industry, especially land and public aviation transportation, has the potential to contribute to:-
The country's economic growth;
Jobs for locals; and
Spin-off effects on local authorities.
Kaola believes that the potential in the transportation industry can be better utilized and achieved if we move quickly in line with the rapid development of the regional and international public aviation industry and the needs of users in land transportation.
This potential can be achieved through corporatization. At the same time, the government no longer needs to provide spending, which can save costs and reduce the country's deficit. Through corporatization, the relevant agencies will be able to carry out supervisory, enforcement and industrial development functions more quickly and responsively.
In this matter, I would like to seek clarification on the following:
When will the regulatory body for land and air transportation be established in this country?;
Is there a definitive timeline for the establishment of this regulatory body?; and
What preparations have been made so far?
I am requesting this clarification because I am referring to the allocation for the Department of Land Transportation (JPD) in the Financial Year 2023/2024, which amounts to $8.9 million.
In my opinion, the annual revenue collection may be two or three times the amount of this allocation, which I can define as a cash cow department with a lot of potential to increase revenue and improve the efficiency of the system and processes.
Just now, I mentioned the need to improve public bus transportation and the digital road tax that can save costs. Both of these issues and other services will continue to develop if the Department of Land Transportation (JPD) is corporatized.
As for air transportation, the allocation for this year is $28.1 million. In my opinion, in terms of revenue collection, it may not be the same as the achievement of the Department of Land Transportation (JPD).
This is because I believe it is due to the high expenditure for the maintenance of government assets amounting to $12 million. So if the Department of Air Transportation is corporatized, I also believe that there will be many savings that we can achieve from it.
Your Honorable Speaker, I am concerned about the Department of Air Transportation. I would like to take this opportunity to ask about the incident involving an Air Asia plane that skidded off the runway at Brunei International Airport in 2014, carrying crew and passengers, which caused the runway to be closed and not operational for some time.
After the incident, all flights were diverted to other airports, such as neighboring countries. Following the incident, an investigation was conducted, and a report was prepared.
My question is:
Have any recommendations or proposals from the investigation been implemented?;
To what extent has it improved our preparedness in dealing with similar incidents in the future?
If landings can still be diverted to other airports that impose very high costs, do we have a contingency plan such as building an additional runway to avoid the closure of the country's only airport if the same incident occurs again or in an emergency situation?
Next, Your Honorable Speaker, regarding road accidents. It is an incident that none of us want to happen, especially accidents that result in injuries and loss of life.
I believe that many efforts have been made before this and Alhamdulillah, the rate of accidents, especially deaths due to road accidents, has decreased with this.
What I observe and understand is that the enforcement methods of the Police and the Road Transport Department (JPD) before this were effective, especially focusing on the behavior or appearance of drivers who have a high potential to cause accidents and injuries such as driving while using a mobile phone, speeding, not wearing a seat belt, driving under the influence of alcohol.
These offenses were reported in the media with the aim of raising awareness among other drivers and as a deterrent.
However, in the past year or so, Kaola rarely hears reports for the purpose of raising awareness, and the most obvious and increasingly common thing is that when we are driving, more and more drivers are using mobile phones while driving.
I believe this is the result of a lack or absence of effective enforcement campaigns like before, which were carried out by the Road Transport Department, making drivers not feel afraid. I understand and acknowledge that awareness and education campaigns carried out through seminars and the like are a long-term method.
However, these drivers have various behaviors or actions, and some do not listen to advice or warnings, including foreign drivers. "I feel challenged, if foreigners dare to do it." Therefore, effective enforcement is the answer to curb the behavior of using mobile phones while driving.
My suggestion is, can the effective enforcement procedures of the past or any current procedures that are considered effective be implemented as a deterrent so that drivers who "do not care, do not remember, and do not listen to warnings not to use their mobile phones" will stop?
Lastly, Your Honorable Speaker, it is about phones. Sometimes, as parents, we are very suspicious, afraid, anxious, and worried about phones that sometimes have pop-up ads, sometimes even during lectures.
So, parents have made things like this to prevent it, but if it pops up suddenly and leads to, sorry to say, things like pornography. So, what is MTIC's action in dealing with such problems? Because as parents, we have been monitoring it, but because it cannot be avoided and is beyond the control of parents, this is something that also causes fear.
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, for allowing me to ask questions and provide suggestions related to MTIC in this honorable House during the blessed month of Ramadan. I beg for forgiveness and apologize if there are any inappropriate language or words and for the many questions, as this only happens once a year, Your Honorable Speaker.
I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Your Honorable Speaker a Ramadan Kareem. "Ramadan Kareem to Your Honorable Speaker. May Allah's forgiveness and generosity be upon us. O Allah, have mercy on all Muslims, including our parents and the deceased."
Thank you and peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah. With the help and guidance of Allah.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and Your Honorable Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin for the questions and suggestions that have been presented.
Firstly, regarding the Public Transport System as mentioned in kaola's introduction, this matter will be revisited with a fresh perspective. The plans that were made in 2014 need to be updated and reviewed. This means that the recommendations made previously may not be entirely unfeasible.
However, in terms of planning, God willing, in the Financial Year 2023/2024, we will further scrutinize the forward strategy and, God willing, have the opportunity to invest in the next National Development Plan.
In addition, among the improvements that have been implemented in the current Public Transport System, of course, are improvements to bus stops and bus poles, and so on. But what we have also obtained from the Bus Passenger Information System is that the average daily income from each of the 29 operating buses is only $24.00. Therefore, this is one of the challenges that needs to be addressed regarding the passenger volume that can sustain a viable system.
Furthermore, regarding road tax, it is true that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Digital Roadtax System was introduced. As I have also mentioned, when we introduce this digitization system, it must be end-to-end.
In what aspect is the purpose of the road tax, besides being used by the Road Transport Department, it is also a source of reference for safety services in this country. Meanwhile, the Road Transport Department and the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia are further enhancing this Digital Roadtax System before it is reintroduced.
If we refer to what is implemented in our neighboring country in terms of legislation, it is still required but not enforced. That is the rule that we have also used during the previous COVID-19 pandemic, where the legislation still requires it but it is not enforced.
Therefore, the way forward is to align in terms of legislation, technology, and also the original purpose of introducing road tax with safety features. Can the original intention still be achieved with the latest methods?
Regarding the consolidation of the Road Transport Department and the International Airport or the Department of Civil Aviation, as the Honorable Member has shared, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has a history of successfully consolidating some of its departments.
And as I have also shared, ان شاء هللا the next department to be consolidated, which is in the planning stage, is the Postal Services Department. In every consolidation action, it must be carried out in an orderly manner, especially when it involves the affairs of employees and the like.
Therefore, the intention to make the Civil Aviation Department and the Road Transport Department more efficient is indeed there, but consolidation is one of the ways to achieve it. However, efforts will continue to be made to make these departments better even if they have not been consolidated yet. Improvements will continue to be made, don't wait for consolidation to be done before any improvements are made.
Therefore, in terms of priorities for the 2023/2024 Financial Year, priority will be given to the Postal Services Department before we move on to consolidate other departments as appropriate.
Regarding the ability of the International Airport to respond to any emergencies, the Civil Aviation Department currently has an emergency response plan and business continuity plan, each of which is in place. It has also taken into account the experiences of previous incidents.
As an example, the Department of Civil Aviation has also purchased the capability for aircraft recovery which has been proven necessary during the previous Air Asia incident. The Department of Civil Aviation has already purchased the equipment and several officers have also been sent to attend courses on how to use the machinery and aircraft recovery procedures.
Regarding the establishment of a second runway, the Ministry of Transport and Communications is currently reviewing the airport master plan. At this time, there is no plan to build a second runway as it involves costs and may affect nearby areas or lands that may need to be replaced.
In this regard, besides establishing a second runway, other procedures are also being considered that may still ensure business continuity of the international airport is not affected for a long time if any incident occurs. In this regard, several emergency scenarios or business continuity traits have been taken into account and will be updated or reviewed from time to time, God willing. Emergency or business continuity training will be conducted from time to time.
Regarding road accident incidents, as Your Honorable has informed, in terms of the number of accidents and loss statistics, they have decreased from year to year except for a blip last year. Continuous efforts are being made by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, where the five main priorities this year are to enforce or prioritize enforcement, especially from speeding issues.
It is undeniable that the main cause of most accidents is driving at high speeds besides using mobile phones. However, the evidence of someone using a mobile phone is scarce unless after the accident has occurred, the police will investigate whether the mobile phone was used before the accident.
Secondly, the focus will be on the quality of driving schools, which Your Honorable has mentioned about the culture of driving. This is one of the priorities emphasized this year to further focus on the quality of driving schools and the curricula implemented in driving schools.
Regarding content management, there is currently a committee focusing on content management and in terms of if government departments or parties complain about websites that are difficult to access or have shown pop-ups. However, most controls are on the device itself and usually with AI systems, pop-ups appear, perhaps there is also a history through those sites.
We need to clean up the device itself from its cookies or cache because it is for special adverts using AI system and it looks at sites that have been visited and means that we are interested and it will automatically suggest them.
Therefore, from the activities of AITI and CSB, some advice to device users is often issued and it is also recommended to seek advice from AITI and CSB who are more than happy to provide suggestions and advice on how to block these sites from appearing on individual devices.
That's all, Your Honorable Speaker, as a brief answer from me.
Your Honorable Speaker
Thank you, Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications. I now invite Your Honorable Haji Awang Sulaiman bin Haji Nasir.
Your Honorable Haji Awang Sulaiman bin Haji Nasir
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم السالم عليكم ورحمة هللا وبركاته greetings and Ramadan blessings to those who are fasting today.
First of all, I would like to express my congratulations and gratitude for the introduction by Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications regarding the direction of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications in managing the budget for 2023. Hopefully, everything planned will achieve the expected perfection, ان شاء هللا.
Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members. I have three things to convey here:
I would like to touch on Matter SN05A - Land Transport Department. Until now, there is still no computerized vehicle inspection facility in Temburong District. Although in the past there was one from the Land Transport Department. As we know, vehicles that are 7 years old and above are required to undergo technical inspections to renew road tax. This situation poses a problem for residents of Temburong District who have to drive far to vehicle inspection centers in urban areas to obtain the service.
Therefore, I suggest that the Land Transport Department consider establishing a Computerized Vehicle Inspection Center in Temburong District, either operated by the government or companies recognized by the Land Transport Department.
I would like to add to the matter brought up by Your Honorable Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin earlier regarding road tax, which is the issue of poor quality road tax stickers that easily damage and leave marks on vehicle windows.
Does the Department of Land Transport have plans to improve the quality of road tax stickers with more durable and high-quality materials?
I would like to touch on the issue of the fully privatized Port Department, which used to employ mostly local staff who had served for a long time in the Port Department. Workers in the Tuck Boat, Pilot Boat, and warehouse sections of the port are now placed in any government department that requires them, and some of them are still working in the same place under the administration of private companies. They feel that their sacrifices and experiences working with the government are not appreciated. What is even more distressing is that some of them have been transferred to government departments with different job responsibilities, which have complicated their work.
Are the relevant parties aware of this issue, and what efforts were made before privatizing the government department, especially in maintaining the welfare of public servants? I would appreciate Your Honorable's clarification on this matter.
Thank you.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, and thank you, Your Honorable, for the question, especially regarding the Vehicle Inspection Center in Temburong District.
Thank you for the suggestion, which is already under consideration by the Department of Land Transport to establish a Vehicle Inspection Center in Temburong District for the convenience of the residents of Temburong District.
In this regard, the bidding process will be reviewed because, based on the old rules, no companies or vehicle workshops have applied to operate in Temburong District. However, with the policy of establishing a center in Temburong District, the same companies that provide services in Brunei Muara District can also be given the opportunity to provide services in Temburong District.
To become a vehicle inspection station, of course, it requires certain requirements, and at present, the Department of Land Transport is updating the standards of these centers not only for Temburong District but also for the whole country so that the quality of services, efficiency, and integrity of these centers can be improved from time to time.
Regarding road tax stickers, as mentioned in kaola's response to the question from Your Honorable Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin earlier, the current road tax stickers have safety features that make them not durable and not easy to transfer.
If opened, it will stick to the mirror and that is actually one of the safety features to overcome the problem of people transferring road tax to other vehicles. It may not be a sustainable safety feature, but as shared, we will explore better methods in terms of digitalization concept. Perhaps digital twinning will be introduced where information about the road tax is available digitally and each driver or vehicle owner is only required to print the road tax themselves to be carried like a flight ticket at this time. That is the initial thought on the way forward for road tax.
Next, regarding the matter of public servants, especially for government departments that have been privatized. In this regard, particularly for the Port Department and the Marine Department, the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam (MPBD), I take note of this matter.
For information, in the process of transitioning from the Port Department and the Marine Department to be merged into the MPBD, the government has ensured that any officers and staff who are transferred to the MPBD will not be affected or experience any loss, and will receive privileges in their service.
Efforts to ensure that officers and staff who are transferred to other government departments have been carried out in detail to at least receive comparable or better privileges than their original positions, with no worst of policy.
In planning to privatize government departments, besides ensuring that the entity is competitive or sustainable, the priority is also on the matter of human resource management, where town hall sessions and one-to-one consultations with employees are usually held.
Taking into account the need for staff to reskill or retrain, the transition process has also been carried out to further enhance the efficiency and experience of these officers. However, in the matter raised by Your Honorable, perhaps you know, it is best to handle it on a case-by-case basis. But in terms of policy, the matter of staff is always a priority, especially in terms of not being worse off and not losing their jobs. That is usually the policy used when implementing this privatization.
That's all, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
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 discuss the proposed budget of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone present in this House a blessed Ramadan. بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم.
Your Honorable Speaker, Honorable Members. ُعلَ ْي ُك ْم َو َرحْ َمةُ هللاِ َو َب َركَاتُه َ سالَ ُم َّ ال and greetings. I would also like to thank the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications for his comprehensive and detailed introduction.
I would like to congratulate and commend the initiatives of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
Actually, I have many things to discuss, but I respect the advice of Your Honorable Speaker to keep it brief and focused.
Therefore, I will only raise 3 or 4 points for clarification or suggestion.
Regarding the public transportation system. The Minister of Transport and Infocommunications has already presented in detail some of the improvements that will be implemented. Honorable Member Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin has also discussed this issue at length. Therefore, I will not elaborate on this topic.
I just want to ask. If I am not mistaken, a sum of $30 million was allocated a few years ago to improve and enhance the public transportation system, which according to the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications needs to be revisited to align with current needs.
However, in the Financial Year 2023/2024, I noticed that under Department of Land Transport, the public transportation system is only allocated $750,000 and a planned cost of $5 million.
Therefore, I would like to know if this budget is sufficient for the initiatives of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications to improve the efficiency of the public transportation system comprehensively? We do not want the improvement of the public transportation system to be delayed or lag behind due to insufficient allocation.
As we understand, Brunei Darussalam has several competitive advantages, including an educated and friendly population, most of whom can speak English fluently, and the blessings and protection of هللا سبحانه وتعالىfrom natural calamities. حمد ّلِل ْ َ أل.
I only want to propose a suggestion to explore the possibility of using these advantages to establish a Disaster Centre for Security Storage and possibly also a call centre for this region or beyond. This can certainly open up more job opportunities for job seekers.
Furthermore, I am interested in a project under the Department of Civil Aviation, namely 003/001 to make the airport one of the top 100 positions - Aerodrone service. For this, a total of B$7.4 million is proposed for the Financial Year 2023/2024.
The Honorable Minister has explained some of the projects that will be implemented in this topic. I just want clarification, at what position is our country currently ranked and what strategic advantages can be gained from this top position? For example, in terms of increasing revenue or airport usage, and so on.
I noticed that the revenue target from the Air Transport sector for 2023/2024 is only B$9 million. This may be because the number of airplanes and visitors using the international airport is limited.
I would like to know, what is a more effective way to increase the usage and activities of this airport? I noticed that the airlines that use this airport are only RB and some neighboring countries' airlines. Have efforts been made to invite more regional or international airlines to use this airport facility?
Lastly, regarding the Digital Transformation and Connected Smart Nations initiative led by the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications. ألَحْمُدُ ِهّلِل This is a good effort and should be supported because it will make service delivery more efficient, effective, and transparent.
I would like to ask, where are we currently in terms of achievements so far, has a third-party assessment been made to evaluate its effectiveness on the ground, especially how this initiative can complement or make the country's environment more pro-business.
Like previous programs, the biggest challenge is in terms of its software, namely the human factor. Please correct me if I am wrong, as we all know, since 10 to 15 years ago, the government has spent almost B$1 billion on computerization programs, including providing infrastructure as a step towards a paperless society and to facilitate service delivery to the public.
However, what we see now is that we have not fully achieved this desire. So, I would like to know if there are better ways, different from the usual ones, in terms of planning, implementation, and coordination of other ministries and government agencies that can convince us to achieve this desire.
In other words, I want to know the strategic steps taken by other ministries and agencies in the government to align hardware progress with software development, in terms of continuous change management and capacity building not only for the involved officers and stakeholders but also for the students so that they are always future-ready and industry-ready. The digitalization of the country's system will foster and shape students' holistic, strategic, and tactical thinking.
I agree with the Honorable Minister that this will require a change in mindset of all stakeholders. This requires strong and solid coordination of all parties, including the private sector, in welcoming this initiative.
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members for the questions raised.
Regarding the Public Transport System, as previously shared, a budget of $30 million has been allocated. The original policy or strategy for the allocation has changed, with some changes in its implementation and governance of the project.
The original idea for the project was that the government would spend on the purchase of public transport buses and its operational costs, which was found to be unsustainable going forward. Therefore, as mentioned by the ministry, the strategy will be revisited with a different business model.
In terms of the question of whether the current allocation is sufficient to create the desired public transport system, the short answer is no. However, the opportunity given with the delay of the 11th National Development Plan for a year, it provides an opportunity for my ministry to revisit the plan to create the desired public transport system as mentioned in the introduction earlier.
Regarding the competitive advantage of our country, currently, one of the competitive advantages in the maritime industry is the safe anchorage area provided by Brunei Bay. One of the plans is to establish anchorage services in the Muara area and, God willing, it will attract regional shipping industries to use the anchorage services at the Muara Port. This is an example of how we can take advantage of our country's competitive advantage.
Just as with the honorable member's suggestion regarding the possibility of our country being used as a call center and also a disaster recovery center, the ministry welcomes local industries to establish facilities such as data centers and cloud systems that can be marketed to users outside the country. This is indeed a proposal that has been put forward.
Regarding progress in international airports, at present efforts regarding aerodromes, we are pleased to announce that our country is ranked 217 out of 450 airports participating in the survey.
At the same time, in terms of the measures used to further develop international airports, we aim to participate in the 3-star rating or Skytrax ranking for international airports.
Therefore, the services we provide have criteria or can be benchmarked where there are 39 criteria that need to be met to participate in the Skytrax ranking.
Furthermore, as shared, there are plans to improve our country's position as a regional hub for both passengers and cargo in our international airports.
Discussions have also been held with, for example, Royal Brunei Airlines regarding providing Umrah package services and the like to feed RB flights and also using international airports as transit areas for these routes. These are among the things that have been postponed.
Regarding the issue of our country's digitalization position at present, after MTIC took the lead in planning as mentioned in the preamble, most of the things that need to be postponed are on the soft side of things in terms of human resources, design capacity, project management, and as the honorable member is aware, change management because what is shared in the digitalization preamble also requires a change in mindset and work procedures.
This is an important matter for a case for success, requiring all of these aspects. It cannot be denied that we have made many investments or expenditures regarding systems, but most of them have not achieved the desired goals from the beginning due to a lack of follow-up or follow-through in terms of change management.
That's all I can share for now, and in sha Allah, further details will be shared later. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
Thank you, Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications. I now invite Your Honorable Dayang Chong Chin Yee to speak.
Your Honorable Dayang Chong Chin Yee
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and greetings. Before proceeding with my questions and suggestions, I would like to wish everyone a blessed Ramadan.
Firstly, I would like to congratulate the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications and the Authority for Info-Communication Technology Industry (AITI) on the introduction of the Brunei ICT Industry Competency Work, which is a useful resource for ICT professionals and individuals who wish to pursue a career in ICT.
According to the Digital 2023 report, Brunei Darussalam has the fourth-highest social media usage in the world in terms of population ratio, with 94.4%. Although Brunei has achieved a high level of social media usage, it is important to acknowledge that social media usage and digital literacy are not the same.
Social media usage refers to the extent to which people use social media platforms to communicate, socialize, and share information. On the other hand, digital literacy is the ability to use technology effectively and safely. It is not just about the ability to use the tools and platforms required by technology.
Therefore, I would like to ask two questions under the topic SN09A Code 003/001 Competency Development. Does the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications have plans to develop a digital competency framework to assess the digital literacy of the people? Such a framework can play an important role in promoting digital inclusivity and enhancing the ICT skills of our people.
Additionally, I would like to know why Brunei is not listed in the Network Readiness Index (NRI)? NRI is an annual report produced by the World Economic Forum that assesses a country's readiness to leverage information and communication technology (ICT) to increase competitiveness and well-being. Can the ministry share the steps taken to ensure that Brunei is listed under NRI in the future? Listing under NRI will be an important benchmark to strengthen our progress and compare our performance with other countries.
The next question is under the topic SN01A Code 004/001 Cybersecurity Management for the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications. According to the latest statistics published by BruCERT, there were nearly 3,000 cyber attacks recorded in 2018, and the three most common types of cyber incidents were malware, online scams, and phishing. In addition, most online victims are individuals over the age of 60.
There have been cases where newly retired pensioners become targets of scammers. With the increasing use of AI-powered tools such as chatbots and machine learning algorithms, cybercriminals can create highly convincing phishing emails and other online scams that are harder to detect and prevent.
There is a need for madrasah to take steps to strengthen cyber security and protect against cyber threats. This includes the use of multi-factor authentication and well-known and up-to-date security software provided by service providers. It is important for service providers to take responsibility for ensuring the security of their systems and data and to practice best cyber security practices to protect users from increasing cybercrime threats.
Can the ministry share plans to address these growing challenges? Especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly. In kaola's opinion, it is important for the country to have a digital competency framework to identify the digital competency level of Brunei's citizens and enable stakeholders to take appropriate action to improve digital skills in the country.
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Thank you also to Your Honorable Dayang Yong Chin Yee for the questions and suggestions.
Firstly, I welcome the suggestions of several Honorable Members who have raised questions and suggestions related to digital literacy or digital index of the citizens. I also welcome the suggestion of Honorable Members to develop a Digital Competency Framework and this matter will be further studied.
However, MTIC through its agencies has initiated several initiatives to promote digital inclusivity and improve ICT skills for the people.
This matter was also touched upon in the earlier introduction where several initiatives have been implemented to improve ICT skills for the people, for example, the Celik ICT or ICT Savviness Program organized by AITI which started in 2017 with the aim of providing understanding and awareness to the public on the importance of using ICT not only in daily life but also encouraging the public to engage in entrepreneurship.
This program introduces short workshops to representatives of the Village Consultative Council such as Wed Designing, Go Live, digital marketing, Basic Digital Literacy, and the program has received good response among the Village Consultative Councils, where the program will be continued from year to year.
In 2019/2022, AITi also conducted workshops focusing on the use of e-Commerce applications. The aim is to educate and encourage the community to make online transactions, namely buying and selling online.
Among the modules introduced in this workshop are the use of e-Commerce platforms such as buying and selling products online, online safety tips, introduction to mobile devices such as Que Up and Dart. The use of social media such as Facebook and Instagram and Basic Digital Literacy such as the use of Microsoft Office, Word, Power Point, and Publisher.
AITi also organized training on Digital Skills Training exhibition targeted at 3 groups, namely the Elderly Activity Center, Single Mothers Group, and Village Consultative Council. This program is divided into 2 workshops, namely e-Commerce workshop and Digital Marketing workshop.
Furthermore, an ICT survey for households and businesses has also been conducted. This initiative is to assess the level of digital literacy and ICT usage among the people and residents of Brunei Darussalam through a household survey conducted every 3 years.
The latest survey was conducted at the end of 2022. The initial findings of the survey are as follows:
54% of respondents have basic ICT skills.
61% of respondents are at the standard skills level. That is, the ability to use basic arithmetic formulas in spreadsheets such as Excel, connect and install new peripherals, create presentation materials with software such as Power Point.
23% of respondents are at the advanced level.
In sha Allah, the results of the survey will be published soon after the data analysis work is completed and updated. From the survey report in 2019, it was found that 95% of respondents use the internet every day.
Furthermore, regarding the update on Key Success Measures related to Digital Competency, which is also contained in the Digital Economy Master Plan. Therefore, it is a facilitator in terms of achieving at least basic digital skills to recommend our country to become a digital in future ready society.
It cannot be denied that one of the efforts is to collaborate with the Ministry of Education in which ICT skills can be implemented earlier at the primary education level.
Regarding the second question about why Brunei is not listed in the Network Readiness Index (NRI)? For Your Honorable's information, Brunei Darussalam was previously listed in the NRI, the last time being in 2014 where our country's ranking was at 45 out of 148 economies.
In the following years, Brunei Darussalam was not listed as there was insufficient data and was still not ready to be measured in the NRI. This includes measures related to high tech, medium high-tech manufacturing, commitment to Jet Hub, Future Technologies including investments in Emerging Technologies and robot density, AI Scientific Applications, and so on.
In the meantime, AITi and MTIC will refer to and use appropriate international indices as benchmarks and reference materials to measure the level of ICT development. These include:
ICT Development Index under the International Telecommunications Union (ITU);
e-Government Development Index (EDI) under the United Nations;
Digital Skills Index under the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation initiative, of which Brunei Darussalam is a member.
Under the e-Government Development Index, the country has achieved a ranking of 68 out of 193 in 2022. Among the measures taken are the level of human capital development in addition to the development of online infrastructure and communication.
The Digital Skills Gap Index (DSGI) is under the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, which examines the readiness of 134 economies in digital skills required for sustainable growth, recovery, and prosperity. In the DSGI 2021 report, Brunei Darussalam scored 6.1 and ranked 32.
Towards improving data availability or open data readiness, there is a need to improve cooperation among government agencies to explore the sharing of data under their respective ministries and departments.
Inshallah, this initiative will be further enhanced so that international institutions as well as residents and school students can access data openly. AITi and MTIC will continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to explore international indices that can be followed and used as benchmarks for the country's ICT industry readiness.
Your Honorable Speaker,
This includes data harmonization with relevant international organizations. Additionally, through the ICT survey conducted by AITi, several elements including the network readiness index have been included in the survey, such as:
Access. People's fundamental access level to ICT in countries including issues about communications infrastructure and affordability;
Individuals. How individuals use technology and leverage the skills to participate in the network economy;
Businesses. How businesses use ICT and participate in the network economy including their spending on R&D;
Governments. How governments use invests in and deploy ICT for the benefit of the general population; and others.
Furthermore, regarding the third question under the title SN01A - 004-001 on Cyber Security Management for the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, according to the latest statistics published by Brunei Computer Emergency Responds Bru-Cert, Brunei has recorded, as shared, 2,979 attacks.
As a result, several cyber security awareness campaigns have been launched by CSB through Bru-Cert and in collaboration with various government agencies such as AiTi, district offices, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Information Department, and the Department of Community Development. CSB intends to expand the series of cyber security briefings to retiring civil servants and in collaboration with the Institute of Public Service.
In the past 3 years, several briefings involving senior citizens have been held, either privately by CSB and Bru-Cert or in collaboration with other government agencies.
For example, in October to November 2019, a total of 140 briefings were held with AiTi, in 2020, 130 briefings were held, and in 2021, 102 briefings were held, and so on.
Therefore, these efforts will be doubled, especially in terms of outreach to reach more audiences in increasing public awareness of threats, especially from cyber security and scammers that are currently ongoing.
That's all that can be shared, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
I now invite Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman.
Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd. Yusuf
Translation
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Peace be upon you and may Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you.
Your Honorable Speaker
Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd. Yusuf, please speak. In the list, Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman.
Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman
If I may, thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Peace be upon you and may Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you. I would like to express my gratitude to the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications for the comprehensive and concise introduction. Alhamdulillah, many plans are being implemented in line with the ministry's goals, especially in developing ICT in the country.
Before I move on to the topic of ICT, I would like to touch on the transportation master plan, which has not shown much progress. This matter has already been explained by the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, so I do not need to be answered.
However, I believe that this matter should be reviewed as its impact is significant to the country. Directly, with an efficient transportation system, it will reduce dependence on private cars for movement, especially for work and sending children to school.
This will, in turn, reduce traffic congestion, reduce car accidents, reduce man-hours lost due to school transportation, as well as make our country tourist-friendly with safe, clean, and timely public transportation. Owning a car, although cheaper compared to other countries, is still a significant part of the expenses for those who have a low income. With a more efficient transportation system, the need for private cars may decrease.
My next question is about the ICT technology that is being actively pursued. I would like to seek clarification on how far this digitization (ICT Technology) can be cultivated as a new way of life, as a way of life in all workplaces, schools, and homes. To what extent has this technology penetrated into our daily lives?
Although, as the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications has informed us, many of our people are already familiar with ICT, but in that study, to what extent are our people friendly with ICT technology to be fully utilized.
I believe it would be more effective if it starts with a new generation that is ready to make ICT a new way of life or lifestyle. This should start in schools and educational institutions.
For now, although every ministry is no stranger to ICT technology and digitization, we are not yet ready to use it comprehensively. It is hoped that IT will become a core subject in schools so that every student is proficient in IT when they graduate. In addition, the price of a computer, laptop, and necessary equipment should be affordable for every student to help cultivate its use.
Finally, Your Honorable Speaker, I refer to the Department of Civil Aviation. I request clarification on whether public airports like the current ones are at the bottom level or whether there are still many plans to be made. Because I believe that with the reopening of borders and the revitalization of the tourism industry, it is appropriate to make plans to improve airport facilities to make them more attractive.
In my opinion, the first impression of tourists is the airport, and the last impression is also the airport. So to advance the tourism industry, the airport is one of the main facilities that we need to improve.
That's all, Your Honorable Speaker, that I want to raise. "May Allah grant us success and peace be upon you and His mercy and blessings. And guidance." Thank you.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker, and thank you also to Your Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman for the questions raised.
Answering the last question first, regarding the progress at Brunei International Airport. As shared, the passenger movement rate in 2022 is currently around 2 million passengers. In terms of airport capacity, it is currently capable of accommodating passenger movements up to 3 million, so there is still room for capacity at the airport.
However, we take the suggestion to improve the airport experience from the perspective of passenger's airport user experience, which is indeed in the planning of the Department of Civil Aviation, following programs such as the Skytrax ranking mentioned earlier, which we hope to achieve a higher score.
Regarding the tourism industry, in this aspect, the Department of Civil Aviation always collaborates with the Department of Tourism and also RB regarding tourism packages, where the Department of Civil Aviation is always ready to facilitate any proposed developments through international airports.
Regarding ICT, the Honorable Member's suggestion is well taken. Indeed, to be more proficient in ICT, it must start from the school level, especially at the primary level. Many programs have been introduced at the secondary and tertiary levels, but I believe it is a bit too late to instill digital literacy, as it needs to be absorbed earlier.
Regarding the land transport master plan, what the Honorable Pehin shared is indeed urgent matters that require the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications to reconsider the establishment of a more suitable and meaningful public transport system that is viable for the public and residents of Brunei Darussalam, which, God willing, can be implemented as best as possible. Thank you.
Your Honorable Speaker
Thank you, Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications. I now invite the Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd. Yusuf.
Honorable Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd. Yusuf
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, peace be upon you and may Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for being given the opportunity to discuss the allocation of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications together. Thank you also to the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications for presenting the ministry's allocation, which explains the direction of the ministry and further efforts to strengthen the transportation system and expand the more efficient and secure infocommunication system.
On this occasion, I would like to wish everyone present in this House a blessed Ramadan, and may Allah, the Most High, bless and accept it.
I will not dwell on this matter for too long as several issues have already been raised by Honorable Members and have also been introduced by the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications earlier. I only want to raise one issue regarding the maritime and shipping sector.
The maritime and shipping sector can provide business and employment opportunities for the youth in our country and contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation.
It has been observed that the workforce in the shipping industry in Brunei Darussalam, especially in the services of Offshore Brunei Shell Petroleum, such as crew members like seamen, junior technicians, 3rd and 4th engineers, wipers, and others, are mostly filled by foreign nationals. To what extent has the Brunei Maritime Academy successfully produced qualified and certified maritime personnel recognized by regional and international shipping companies?
For the purpose of training and preparing local maritime crew members, the Brunei Maritime Academy and the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam should provide a comprehensive and internationally recognized training program in the country, accredited by the International Maritime Organization or other recognized regional and international maritime institutions.
In this regard, it is suggested that the Brunei Maritime Academy and the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam collaborate with any maritime academy through twinning or collaboration programs to ensure that our local youth who are interested in the maritime industry, particularly seafarers, are trained comprehensively and systematically, and their certification is recognized by regional and international shipping bodies. This will also provide opportunities for our local youth to work abroad if their certification is recognized.
That is all Your Honorable Speaker wishes to raise here.
Once again, I thank Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications and seek further enlightenment on this matter.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and Your Honorable for the question regarding the maritime sector and human resource development.
Firstly, I would like to share that in terms of mariners' competency, it is regulated under the International Maritime Organization, where their competency is controlled under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping.
In this regard, in terms of competitiveness for locals to enter the maritime industry, it has been proven through Brunei Gas Carriers, where all or 100% of the Ratings and below staff are made up of local residents. The challenge is only when it comes to senior positions, where many are still held by foreign workers. One of the challenges is to achieve, for example, the level of captain or chief engineer, which takes at least 10 years to achieve. This is because the competency structure of the marine program also includes seatime, which is one of the requirements to achieve their competency level.
From the perspective of collaboration with the Brunei Maritime Academy through MPABD in the middle of last year, the Competency Framework for Maritime Services was also introduced in Brunei Darussalam, which is based on the International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). Insha Allah, with this competency framework, it can help the Brunei Maritime Academy to produce training programs that are in line with the STCW.
At the same time, industry players such as BGC and shipping companies have also contributed, for example, in establishing the Piloting and Operation Simulation Centre which can be used by the Brunei Maritime Academy (BMA).
These are among the contributions made by the collaboration between MPAD industry and BMA to further enhance the ability of the Brunei Maritime Academy to produce caliber seafarers and also to continue their competency to reach levels such as engineers and deck officers, which are currently in short supply.
In addition, it must be acknowledged that in order for our citizens to be able to provide services or work abroad, it is from our competitiveness. Unfortunately, due to our rate, our seafarers are not necessarily competitive, especially the lower ranking officers.
Considering that there are citizens from neighboring countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia who provide lower costs. However, to develop the shipping or maritime industry in Brunei Darussalam through the Manpower Planning and Employment Council (MPEC), efforts to localize the shipping industry in Brunei Darussalam are currently being carried out by introducing a ratio of foreign and local workers to fill positions that have the potential for local citizens to fill. That is all that can be shared perhaps at this time.
Your Honorable Speaker
I invite Your Honorable Awang Haji Md. Salleh bin Haji Othman.
Your Honorable Awang Haji Md. Salleh bin Haji Othman
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. First of all, I would like to thank the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications for the introduction regarding the direction and planning of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications to ensure that the Supply (2023) of the Law Bill and (2023-2024) can be used as best as possible.
Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members. I would like to touch on the matter of SN05A - the Land Transport Department, specifically the issue of illegal taxis. The issue of illegal taxis is not new in our society, in fact, it has become a necessity for the public as an alternative, especially during difficult times to obtain public transportation.
I am concerned about the increasing number of illegal taxis, especially those operated by foreigners. Have the relevant authorities taken notice of this issue and what are the laws related to illegal taxis, including those operated by foreigners?
Is there a solution to address this issue, such as offering them licensed taxi services or other services allowed by the Land Transport Department? I would like to seek clarification from the Honorable Minister of Transport and Communications.
Thank you. May peace and blessings be upon you.
Your Honorable Menteri Pengangkutan dan Infokomunikasi
Thank you. Your Honorable Speaker and also Your Honorable for the question asked. Regarding the issue of illegal taxi services, it means that there is a demand for such services and the difference between licensed and unlicensed services is that without a license, there is less guarantee in terms of safety and so on.
Therefore, to address this matter, it is indeed a bit difficult for the Land Transport Department to fully monitor these activities. However, it is also up to the users to make a choice to use such services by accepting any risks that may arise from using unlicensed taxi services.
Insha'Allah, with the plan to introduce a multimodal public transportation system that combines various types of transportation, including taxis, e-hailing, buses, and so on. This will also comprehensively cover the types of services provided by these illegal taxis, which have licensed and safer methods. This is how we will address it in the future.
In the meantime, services such as Dart or e-hailing are actually examples of the evolution of taxi or vehicle services that have moved towards more customized or preferred services.
Where the passenger's needs can be customized through the e-hailing system, such as Dart and the like. However, it is noted that the cost of these services is currently very high or challenging for some segments of the population in our country.
Meanwhile, that is among the future plans to improve the public service system integration that combines various modes of transportation such as taxis, e-hailing and the like. This matter can be overcome where the public can use a more conducive and, God willing, safe and guaranteed public service system.
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
I now invite Your Honorable Awang Amran bin Haji Maidin.
Your Honorable Awang Amran bin Haji Maidin
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
I would like to wish everyone who is fasting a blessed Ramadan. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications for his clear introduction on the direction of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
Your Honorable Speaker, I would like to touch on SN05A, which is the Land Transport Department under the Road Traffic Act (Chapter 68 - Road Traffic Regulations) (Driving Instructors and Driving Schools), 1987.
Alhamdulillah, as we understand it, this driving school has been in effect since March 1, 1987, and is run by Brunei Darussalam citizens. Throughout its operation, improvements have been made to provide education on Road Traffic Regulations in a more organized and systematic manner towards making the roads safe for everyone to use.
The provision of circuits in the Brunei-Muara District has also provided perfection in conducting driving training before practicing on the actual road. It is suggested that these circuits be extended to other districts.
Under the Road Traffic Act (Chapter 68) Road Traffic Regulations (Driving Instructors and Driving Schools), 1987, Section 4 (1) (A) states that "No person shall conduct a driving school unless he is the holder of a permit in respect thereof." Then, Section 6 (C) states that "the permit shall be valid only for the firm or company in whose name it is issued and shall not be transferable." Therefore, in relation to Section 6 (C) of the Act, "the permit shall not be transferable," it is suggested that it be evaluated or amended using a competent method so that it can operate as usual and not affect the learning of students who still have a qualified instructor at the school, such as an appointed and experienced instructor.
Considering that many driving schools have had to close down when the owner (entrepreneur) passes away, in recent times, several driving schools have been unable to continue operations, affecting the livelihoods of trainers and staff in those driving schools.
The impact of this is that all assets such as buildings that have been recommended to operate on business premises, driving class rooms, theory classes, and vehicles remain unchanged until they become a burden to heirs or guarantors if they still have bank loans. Likewise, entrepreneurs are concerned about expanding the school's progress on a large scale, as this Act may become a barrier to moving forward. It is requested that the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications reassess and update for the benefit of all parties.
Similarly, the application for a driving school entrepreneur permit and trainer permit takes several years. Since these entrepreneurs can provide employment opportunities for our people, additional assistant trainer positions can be opened to provide employment opportunities while helping companies streamline management as required by the government to provide employment in the private sector, especially in the licensing industry. So in this regard, the management must be prepared to balance this growth, such as Assistant Examiner, Supervisor Examiner, and related positions to accommodate population growth.
According to current observations, most vehicles at this time are automatic. So to meet the needs and demands of the public, the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications can add more classes for driving licenses for automatic vehicles, as other countries have already used automatic vehicles in training and driving tests without conditions.
In addition, most drivers no longer drive manual vehicles, do not have manual vehicles, and the ministry itself is aware of the number of manual vehicle registrations in Brunei Darussalam. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and also Your Honorable Awang Amran bin Haji Maidin. I think the suggestions and recommendations made by Your Honorable have been well received and the ministry will review these driving schools and their supervision again this year. Therefore, the shared matters can be taken into consideration together.
To touch on the topic of ownership transfer, it is not allowed to be named after a specific individual according to regulations, but currently it is allowed administratively or as a favor to transfer ownership temporarily for necessary changes to be made.
At the same time, the proposal to introduce the automatic driving license category is currently under consideration. In sha Allah, progress will be shared, which is the result of the assessment that has been made at this time.
For your information, an initial draft of the paper has also been prepared for the proposal to hold an automatic Class 3 or 3A driving license, which will be discussed first with the Motor Vehicle Permit Committee or in the Motor Vehicle Committee responsible for issuing driving school permits.
They actually met last year, where they supported the drafting of the Road Transport Act to allow existing operators to include Class 3A in the driving school curriculum and purchase automatic vehicles for learning.
That's all for the update so far.
Your Honorable Speaker
Your Honorable Awang Lawi bin Haji Lamat.
Your Honorable Awang Lawi bin Haji Lamat
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. First of all, I would like to express my congratulations and thanks for the clear and comprehensive opening remarks by the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications. The Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam has provided the use of proper safety jackets that can help reduce the risk of fatal accidents.
Water taxi operators are often urged to always wear safety jackets and comply with regulations. The Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam reminds boat operators and passengers to always use safety jackets, safety equipment, and ensure that they are in good condition.
Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members. Wearing safety jackets should be part of the routine. It is important to wear safety jackets because one cannot predict when an accident may occur. Boat operators have been reminded not to overload their boats with passengers.
All water transportation, especially boats, are vulnerable to danger and unstable weather and water conditions. Safety jackets are lifesaving and help users to survive so that they can be easily rescued. Kaola's question is, what is the public's response after these efforts have been made, perhaps there are other plans to encourage the public to comply with wearing safety jackets?
Assalamualaikum and may peace be upon you and also God's blessings and mercy. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and also Your Honorable Awang Lawi bin Haji Lamat. The MPBD is indeed concerned about efforts to raise public awareness about boat safety in Kampung Air, especially with the use of life jackets.
Among the efforts that have been implemented from time to time are public awareness through social media, issuing posters and safety videos for boats through television, radio stations, newspapers, and the like.
The enforcement division of the MPBD has also continuously conducted enforcement operations or inspections from time to time, both individually and in a coordinated manner. At this time, the MPBD is also giving reminders and education on the importance of using life jackets.
From the feedback and enforcement operations that have been carried out, it has been found that although the use of life jackets is very useful, some people find them uncomfortable and costly. However, God willing, the importance of wearing life jackets is higher than the discomfort or unpleasant feeling of wearing them.
God willing, it is recommended that individuals continue or further improve the inspection and awareness activities regarding the importance of using life jackets from time to time because it is still at a satisfactory level compared to the objectives at this time. That is all for now.
Your Honorable Speaker
I now invite Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin.
Your Honorable Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members, Ramadan greetings to all.
Thanks to Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications for the explanation and updates on the ministry's direction towards achieving the smart nation goal in line with achieving Brunei Vision 2035.
Not only during the opening remarks but also during the discussion on the direction and challenges that must be faced, as well as the risk matrix chart, the only ministry that uses risk charts and top ten KPIs to be achieved. In response to Your Honorable Speaker's suggestion due to time constraints, I will only touch on a few issues and will follow up in writing or directly with the ministry, God willing.
Issue 1, KPI to increase connectivity in using public bus routes. "Your Honorable" we have discussed extensively about bus routes and public transport. Therefore, I would like to provide an alternative viewpoint. I am excited about one of the KPIs of the ministry to increase bus route activity and during the ministry's phased deliberation, the initiative of the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunication is the transportation of the country.
I request that the ministry can provide a master plan after it is given and reviewed again. The national transportation plan is to provide efficient, easy, safe, cheap, and comfortable transportation for the public (reliable, accessible, save, cheap and comfortable). In line with the ministry's initiative to provide live tracking intelligent transport system infrastructure to help bus operators study the use of buses and live tracking of emergency vehicles, "God willing".
Proposal 1: While waiting for the implementation of the master plan, a new breath is given for implementation throughout the country. I suggest that the ministry open a competition level to create "apps" for schools or the public to create the best mobile phone-based application that can show schedules, routes, waiting for buses, public transport that is efficient, fast, and cheap (reliable, fast and cheap road) starting from housing schemes to schools, hospitals, government agencies that are frequently visited by the public such as passport offices, housing affairs, electricity, water, and business places.
Proposal 2: I believe that it is good for the government to initiate infrastructure, facilities, and service initiatives directly or involving GLCs to test the concept and availability of routes, namely proof of concept, proof of availability of roads while increasing the target number of customer bus users (customer base) and believe that they will use buses as their preferred mode of transportation (transport of choice). Before giving this project to PPP or Public Enterprise.
Before any government agency complains that public bus transportation will increase the burden and expenditure of the country, perhaps it is good to look back at the wisdom of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam when building the Temburong Bridge and the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Bridge to Sungai Kebun. Not because we think there is a return on investment from these bridges, but as a government that needs to provide easy and safe connections.
Of course, the development of Temburong District and the other side of Sungai Kebun will contribute to the economic growth and productivity of the country, as it will reduce the cost of avoidance from traveling far, although it cannot be quantified, it can certainly be felt due to the current state of infrastructure.
Effective, affordable, efficient, safe, and comfortable public transportation, when utilized and managed properly, will attract more people to use public transportation and indirectly reduce the use of private cars, which will in turn reduce government subsidies on petrol prices.
Proposal 3: As an input in the Master Plan for Public Transportation System, which will be reviewed. As I suggest during the Musim Muzakarah, perhaps the ministry staff can try to use the current public transportation from the housing scheme to any place, such as the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital, so that we can understand why people are reluctant to use public transportation. The current indicators may be the reasons why people do not trust public transportation.
The second issue is the Digital Economy Master Plan Smart Nation, which includes cyber security. One negative impact of expanding the use of digital technology in communication and the economy is cybercrime, such as data hacking and scams, as previously mentioned by the Honorable Member.
My question is, besides increasing the understanding and awareness of users, can the authorities in MTIC and FDI provide forensic evidence when a scam occurs, assist victims, file police reports, and more importantly, help to trace and recover the scammed money?
The third issue, congratulations on using the risk best matrix chart to monitor the ministry's ability to achieve goals and prioritize activities and focus areas. I suggest that the ministry examine the suitability of contingency plans for safety or professional critical areas in the event of a double JPD occurrence.
For example, if the control of the Kitani system in the ministry, which depends entirely on digital technology, is hacked and at the same time, the power, electric, or other communication systems are lost, what should we do?
The fourth issue does not require an answer, just for information. To add some ideas to be included in the strategic plan for road safety, consider installing CCTV cameras in accident-prone areas, such as places with frequent traffic lights, where I understand and feel that too many people try to run red lights, yellow is read as fast, and red is for passing through.
The u-turn spot on the highway where cars are known to not follow the speed limit,
In order to maintain consistent quality, private car inspections should be monitored and possibly subjected to independent auditing, as there are times when vehicles with questionable work warranties pass inspections.
Heavy vehicles carrying cargo from foreign countries that pass through our country must ensure that they use standards that require lockable containers and are not allowed to use canvas-covered cargo alone.
That's all, the rest I will discuss directly with the ministry.
Assalamualaikum and greetings,
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Communications
Thank you, Your Honorable Pengersi, and thank you, Your Honorable.
Regarding the provision of Public Service Systems as shared, it will indeed involve negotiations with stakeholders and input from certain experts in creating a suitable system in our country, as mentioned by Your Honorable, to achieve an efficient, effective, clean, and accessible system. That is the goal to be achieved in formulating the strategy that will give a new breath and in the preparation of RKN-12 later.
At the same time, regarding the waiting period for the provision of a more comprehensive system, it is shared that improvement projects for bus stops and the like will continue to be carried out, including bus terminals located in Pekan Tutong and the establishment of a bus terminal in Pekan Bangar and the like.
At the same time, regarding "apps," at this time, with the cooperation of the Japanese government, we have implemented the "Smart Mobility Operation Cloud (SMOC)" goal, which is in the preparation of a bus passenger information system that provides information on the whereabouts of the bus and the routes used by the buses. It cannot be denied that the results of the findings from the pilot project can be said to be that the Public Transportation System is nearly non-existent in terms of its reliability. That cannot be denied.
Regarding cybercrime, at this time, the Cyber Security Order is still in the final stages of its formulation, where existing laws at this time can also be used for any offenses related to cybercrime, such as the Penal Code, Computer Misuse Act, Public Order, and so on.
Your Honorable, for any offenses related to CSB, we will cooperate with the police to carry out enforcement tasks for any offenses related to it.
In this regard, there is also a need for cross-border cybercrime investigations. In this regard, CSB, through the National Digital Forensic Lab, which has been officially established, will cooperate with the Royal Brunei Police Force as the National Central Bureau Interpol for Brunei Darussalam to continue investigations related to cooperation with law enforcement agencies and cyber agencies abroad.
Within 5 years from 2018 to January 2023, NDFL has successfully handled 561 cases, whether they are cyber-enabled crimes or cyber-dependent crimes from law enforcement agencies. This involves as many as 2,641 units of various types of digital evidence such as computers, mobile phones, storage media, digital services, and others that have been used to obtain ISO 17025:2017 accreditation in forensic testing from the American National Standards Institute, which is the National Accreditation Board in 2022.
CSB has also successfully obtained certification for information security management for all three of its core services, namely BruCERT, WC, and NDFL in January 2023. The best practices and outcomes from these two achievements will make CSB a more integrated, calibered, and objective agency in dealing with cybercrime-related issues.
Regarding the business continuity plan as Your Honorable has raised, in the risk matrix developed by MTIC, it does identify the need for a business continuity plan. This also includes continuity in the event that digital systems are not operational.
For example, this requires a return to manual systems, so this contingency plan is also being delayed for any critical operations of various departments under the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
Furthermore, regarding dangerous areas as shared earlier, the Road Safety Council has been conducting visits and suggesting any improvements in areas prone to accidents.
"Insha Allah" regarding the installation of CCTV in certain areas, this may also be included in the planning under the National Surveillance System, which is still being implemented at this time. That's all, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
I invite Your Honorable Mr. Mohammad bin Abdullah @ Lim Swee Ann.
Your Honorable Mr. Mohammad bin Abdullah @ Lim Swee Ann
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم السالم عليكم ورحمة هللا وبركاته and Greetings. ألحمدُ هلِل First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for the introduction by the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications regarding the expenditure plan for the Supply Bill (2023), 2023/2024. I hope that all planned initiatives can be implemented smoothly.
Your Honorable Speaker and Honorable Members. As we all know, the number of vehicles in Brunei Darussalam is increasing day by day. This can be seen every day, especially during peak hours. Other countries around the world have been working towards reducing traffic congestion, especially in urban areas, through long-term strategic plans, including improving the quality of public transportation facilities in densely populated urban areas; by decentralizing rural areas to reduce concentration in one area; introducing more comfortable and safe public transportation systems and promoting the use of electric vehicles to reduce negative impacts on the environment due to excessive vehicle carbon emissions.
What are the short and long-term plans of the government in improving the road system and more systematic and modern public transportation system, taking into account initiatives towards preserving Brunei Darussalam?
So far, how many public transportation companies are operating and have the relevant parties conducted surveys regarding public feedback on the public transportation system in Brunei Darussalam? I would like to seek clarification from the Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications.
Thank you.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and thank you, Your Honorable. Regarding the public transportation system, we have discussed it at length and it is contained in the introduction, perhaps it has already been answered, but I would like to add that in terms of short-term actions, there are also several upgrading projects that will be carried out, for example, upgrading the building facilities and bus terminal areas in Seria, upgrading the building facilities and bus terminal areas in Kuala Belait, updating the bus stop poles for existing bus routes. At the same time, the development of this bus passenger information system is a continuation of the pilot project that is currently underway.
Next, regarding the number of public transportation companies operating, it is pleased to share that the current number of services are as follows:
In the Intra-District Public Bus, there are 5 operators in the Brunei-Muara District operating 6 routes, namely the Northern Line, Southern Line, Eastern Line, Circle Line, and Central Business Line.
In the Belait District, there is one operator operating 2 routes, namely the Kuala Belait Circular Route and the Seria Circular Route.
As for the Inter-District Public Bus, there are 5 operators for the Bandar Seri Begawan and Seria routes.
In addition, it is also shared that there are 47 registered taxi drivers and as of September 2022, there are 362 Dart drivers.
Furthermore, regarding whether MTIC conducted a survey on public feedback on the public transportation system, MTIC through the Land Transport Department has been and is currently studying the routes and facilities of public transportation.
Currently, there are 5 bus operators in Brunei Darussalam and in collaboration with Zenmov Inc. Japan, have signed a memorandum of cooperation with MTIC, Brunei Darussalam in the Smart City Project initiative. This project aims to determine the operation of public bus routes and the number of passengers for each route using the Smart Mobility Operation Cloud mobile application.
For information, a total of 9 i-Ready officers are currently placed in the Land Transport Department and are supervised by Land Transport Department officers to carry out initiatives to review, explore and analyze all public transportation facilities, bus stops, and also the distance between bus stop locations and bus stop numbering. The findings from this focus group will later be used as input in further developing strategies for establishing the public transportation system in the future. That is all that is shared for now.
Your Honorable Speaker
And finally, I would like to invite Your Honorable Awang Haji Mohamad Danial @ Tekpin bin Ya'akub.
Your Honorable Awang Haji Mohamad Danial @ Tekpin bin Ya'akub
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker. السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the opening remarks made by the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications regarding the planning initiatives towards providing quality services. May all the plans be successfully implemented إن شاء الله.
I would like to touch on the issue that is often raised by the public regarding the lack of improvement in the public bus services operating in the villages, where the bus schedules do not seem to show any improvement in bringing passengers.
Your Honorable, the public is still waiting for too long with an unfriendly customer service schedule. In addition, information regarding the public bus service schedule displayed physically is also not available, especially in certain areas.
This situation does not help to improve the quality of public transportation and make it an option for the public in Brunei Darussalam, especially in rural areas. In this regard, what efforts has the government made to further improve public bus facilities in rural areas?
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, besides the bus station located in Bandar Seri Begawan, are there any plans to create fully equipped bus stations in strategic mid-point areas that function as interchanges or interlane buses to destinations such as in the Sengkurong and Pekan Tutong areas? Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.
Your Honorable Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker and Your Honorable for the question addressed to me.
Returning to the public transportation system, especially regarding buses. It is clear that the traditional bus system model will not yield the desired results.
Therefore, the initial idea is to create a combined transport mode system in terms of e-hailing share-ride and the like.
For example, share-ride is a small bus that may be more suitable for rural or village areas compared to the bus transportation system where data collected for the Brunei and Muara District areas has shown that the occupancy riders in a vehicle or a bus is very low.
Therefore, the use of smaller vehicles such as licensed taxi sweeps may be able to legalize this system. The reason is that there is demand for such transportation.
Perhaps if it is introduced as a transport system that we can control, which can guarantee the safety of users and drivers, God willing, it may be postponed in the future.
What I mean here is that the public transportation system model that we see abroad cannot be 100% adapted to our country.
Therefore, we must adapt to the city's development in terms of infrastructure and socio-economics.
Thus, a more suitable system for our country is desired and, God willing, with the shared process of negotiation and feedback from the public and users, we can create a system that is suitable for our country.
Thank you, Your Honorable Speaker.
Your Honorable Speaker
We thank the Honorable Minister of Transport and Communications for consistently and accurately answering the questions. Therefore, I think it is enough for us to discuss this Ministry's topic.
Honorable Members. I believe it is time for us to vote on whether we approve or reject the Ministry of Transport and Communications' topic.
Honorable Members who agree to approve the Ministry of Transport and Communications' topic, please raise your hand.
(All Members raise their hands in agreement)
Thank you, it seems that all Members agree, so the Ministry of Transport and Communications' topic is approved.
Deputy Clerk
Topics SN01A to SN09A - Ministry of Transport and Communications are included in the Schedule.
Your Honorable Speaker
Honorable Members, I think we have discussed enough for today.
So, I suggest that we adjourn this Committee Meeting and reconvene in the National Assembly Meeting.
(Committee Meeting adjourned)
(Meeting reconvenes)
Your Honorable Speaker
Honorable Members. The meeting is now in the National Assembly Meeting.
In my opinion, let us end our discussion for today, and I would like to adjourn our meeting. God willing, we will have another meeting on Monday, March 27, 2023, as usual, starting at 10.00 am.
That's all, peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings be upon you. And with God's guidance and blessings.
ADJOURNED
(Meeting adjourned)
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