Brunei Darussalam’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector is winning international recognition and moving closer to meeting the government’s objective of making the Sultanate a knowledge-based economy. However, the acceptance of ICT in daily life is by no means even throughout the country.A majority of Bruneians have embraced ICT and are making increasing use of its many applications.…
Looking to build on its recent good showing in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) survey, where it made solid gains in a number of categories and improved its overall ranking, Brunei Darussalam is now looking to further enhance its business climate and attract increasing levels of foreign direct investment. Yet, it still has some way to go before it achieves its goal of being included…
Brunei Darassalam’s skies are set to get more crowded and its international airport busier, with an increasing number of airlines looking to serve routes to the Sultanate and the country’s own flag carrier positioning itself to maximise returns by sharpening its focus on the regional market.Having built up an enviable reputation for quality and service since being founded in 1974, Royal Brunei…
Brunei Darussalam’s construction sector is set to benefit from a number of new infrastructure projects coming off the drawing board in the next year, two of which will have particular significance for the Sultanate’s domestic economy and integration with its neighbours.On September 13, officials from the Sultanate and Malaysia signed a series of agreements that laid out the terms and conditions…
With a radical overhaul of its energy sector planned, Brunei Darussalam is looking to ramp up production at the wellhead while expanding downstream activities through a long-term programme that is intended to quadruple national revenue and boost employment.On September 21, the Sultanate unveiled the outline of its first ever Energy White Paper, which will serve as the blueprint for the oil and gas…
Brunei Darussalam’s economy has maintained its competitive edge over the past year, according to a recent report, putting in a solid performance in difficult times as the world struggles to rebound from recession. However, the study also identified a number of key areas where the Sultanate needs to step up if it is to further improve its rankings.In its latest Global Competitiveness Report, issued…
Faced with a steady increase in the incidence of diabetes, Brunei Darussalam’s health officials are stepping up efforts to counter the illness by boosting awareness programmes, deploying more treatment facilities and even debating a proposal that could place the Sultanate at the forefront of international research to combat the disease.Following heart disease and cancer, diabetes is the most common…
Brunei Darussalam’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector has been given a significant boost with the launch of a new programme that will provide budding entrepreneurs in the field with access to funding, technical support and mentoring, and help meet the objective of developing the Sultanate into a knowledge-based economy.Mobile phone operator DST announced in July that it was setting…
Brunei Darussalam is ramping up efforts to increase its rice harvest – seen as core to its policy of strengthening food security – turning to newly developed high-yield grains and improved technology to raise production, though it will be some years before the Sultanate comes close to its goal of meeting most of its domestic needs with home-grown crops.Rice is one of the staples of the local cuisine,…
Brunei Darussalam has moved to further streamline the approval process for construction and land development projects to boost foreign investment and encourage local builders. However, government initiatives to improve workplace conditions and regulations will require construction firms to comply with tighter environmental protection requirements.The Ministry of Development (MoD) has set the ambitious…
