Air Linkages To Brunei Expanded
By Zalm Zaini

Bandar Seri Begawan - The government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang DiPertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam has given its consent for airline companies from BIMP-EAGA members such as Cebu Air from the Philippines and Batavia Air from Pontianak, Indonesia to operate in Brunei.

The move is hoped to develop the transport industry as in 2007 members of BIMP-EAGA reached an agreement for the liberation of aviation and also an agreement on developing land and marine transport.

This was revealed yesterday by the Minister of Communications Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia HajiAwg Abu Bakar bin Hj Apong during the launching of the strategic plan book for the Ministry of Communications.

We hope to step forward rapidly to realise services of land and marine. It is hoped to open spaces and opportunities for the private sector to explore and assist in generating other sectors that are related with tourism, he added.

Development of communication industry whether marine, land or air to generate economic growth is undeniable. Asia Pacific is a region that at the moment is developing and continues to have potential for growth in the future, the minister said.

Speaking on the aspirations of the government for an information society, the key towards the effort in generating one depends heavily on the ability of society to change. Despite the penetration rate of "fixed line" to homes, which is close to 100% however, the Internet usage rate for every 100 person is only 46.6%.

Efforts by the government through the e-government to provide online services to facilitate as well as to make the administration of government service more efficient can only implement it successfully if all parties involved or manpower in the government and users have the capability or are 1CT literate.

Thus in relation to this we are all responsible in implementing efforts to ensure that investments in these projects are worthwhile by preparing manpower that can reap its benefits.

AITI since 2007 has implemented Infocom competency training programme in an effort to assist the ability of ICT local workers in the private or public sector to improve their skills. AITI will bear the cost of training between 50-80% at training agencies which are identified.

This programme is one of the visions of ICT that is dynamic, innovative and vibrant and in line with the nation's needs.

At the same time we appreciate and encourage the involvement of the private sector and other agencies in mutually developing and increasing the capacity of human resource in the ICT field.

We witness among the countries in this region or Asia-Pacific region on the co-relation among the increase of info-communication infrastructure with the economic progress that shows positive trend.

Thus in relation to infrastructure to assist in the development of info-communication which will be enhanced and extended including plans to improve the quality of broadband service as well as the implementation of the Asia America Gateway underwater cable project which is an underwater cable system aside from SEA-ME-WE-3 that is also available at the moment, this will increase the capacity of bandwidth and the ability of traffic flow out of the country.

We hope the available infrastructure and those that will be developed can generate development and economic progress in various SME sectors and private agencies as well as the government to attract Foreign Direct Investment.

On supporting SMEs, the minister said, "To realise the role of some of the departments of the ministry as a facilitator or regulator for certain services, through the strategic plan, efforts are underway to review the possibility of implementing the agenda of corporatisation of a number of services provided by the department under the Ministry of Communications."

This step is hoped to enable the departments to concentrate on the responsibility of its core business while the service can be implemented by the private sector. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Related News: Ministry Unveils 10-Year Strategic Plan

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