Thrusts of the 8th NDP explained
By Azlan Othman

Department of Economic Planning and Development official delivering a talk

One key thrust under the 8th National Development Plan is the need to speed-up economic diversification, strengthen the government finances, strengthening the private sector and improving the legal and administrative system and procedures. There should also be adequate and well-planned infrastructure and public facilities, effective implementation of human resources development and development of the promoted sectors.

This was highlighted by Dr. Hj Abd Manaf, Assistant Director for Planning at the Department of Economic Planning and Development (DEPD) at the 8th National Development Plan (NDP) briefing for career teachers yesterday.

Government finances could be strengthened through reviewing the government expenditures and budgeting system, studying alternative means of financing development programmes and reviewing of tax system and subsidies by relevant agencies and finally corporatisation, commercialisation of government agencies and activities.

Meanwhile the private sector could be strengthened through expanding the size of the private sector (through corporatisation and privatisation), encouraging local and foreign investment, improving investment climate and enhancing SME's capability.

Legal and administration systems and procedures are improved through improving investment climate (via investment Incentives Order 2001, Economic Development Board (amendment) Order 2001, Industrial Coordination Order 2001 and Income Tax Order (amendment) 2001, and reviewing other laws and regulations related to businesses and reviewing land ownership policies).

Provision of adequate and well-planned infrastructure and public facilities could be carried-out through enhancing ICT infrastructure and facilities (through BIT Council, e-government and e-business), export import hubbing facilities, tourism infrastructure as well as industrial infrastructure and facilities.

Effective implementation of HRD could be carried out through education policy review by Ministry of Education, training and placement schemes for new graduates and school leavers and public/private sector manpower mobility.

Developing the promoted sector is carried out via Brunei International Financial Centre (BIFC), tourism industry (such as ecotourism destination development, manpower development for tourism industry and promotion and event creation) transhipment (such as improvement of port and airport facilities, development of container freight stations and computerisation programme).

Developing the promoted sector is also being conducted through ICT (such as expansion and upgrading of network and corporate infrastructure, external network expansion and telecom materials, e-government & e-business, ICT educational facilities and cyber park), halal food (such as poultry based production and processing, fisheries based production and processing, research and development, food safety programme and strategic alliance), oil and gas downstream industry as well as supporting programmes ( such as trade and entrepreneurship development).

The long term objectives of NDP are to improve the quality of life of the people, to utilise the economic utilisation of resources, to develop non-oil industries, to accelerate human resources development and meet the demand of the economy and to maintain full employment and increase the level of productivity.

NDP also aims at maintaining a moderate rate of inflation, to foster a more disciplined, self-reliant and caring society, to encourage and nurture the development of "Rakyat Melayu" or Malays as leaders of industry and commerce and to have a clean and healthy environment.

In the 8th NDP which runs from 2001 to 2005, 18,000 jobs are expected to be created with the largest in the labourers, cleaners and transportation and related sectors with 3960 jobs.

NDP runs for 20 years. It began with the 5th NDP (from 1986 to 1990) with a budget allocation of $3,700 million. The 8th NDP (2001 to 2005) has a total budget of $7,300 million.

Held at the conference hall of the Ministry of Education in Berakas, the briefing was organised by Counselling and Guidance Section of the School's Department at the Ministry.

Earlier Pg. Hj Osman, Acting Administrative and ICT Director highlighted a brief history of DEPD, its vision, mission, main roles, organisation structure and function of each department.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin