Economy Worries People Amidst New Year Joy
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan - As an uncertain world welcomed the New Year yesterday people in Brunei too celebrated hoping for a more prosperous twelvemonth ahead.

Although Bruneians took the cue from their ruler's New Year speech, which urged them to pay heed against terror in safeguarding the nation's security many had their minds fixed on the country's economic future.

Employment and job prospects, developments projects to fire up the downward slide in the country's business cycle and the near collapse of local commercial expansion were apparently very much in their thoughts as the people played and partied.

But that the alarming economic downtrend which showed no clear prospect in bottoming up that did not prevent the many hotels and food outlets from being totally booked up. There was joy everywhere.

And many who came from overseas visiting friends and relatives and to enjoy Brunei's unique peace and stability greatly admired Brunei's peaceful, unhurried atmosphere amid this world of strife and fear.

Because as the other world capitals had to worry about terrorist threats, poverty, religious strife and other modern day horrors, Brunei luckily had hardly any such concerns.

In fact, many foreign visitors commented on the complete lack of tension during the local revelries where people of all races and religions mixed freely ushering in the hopeful newborn year joyfully.

But some visitors had questions. They wanted to know what plans Brunei had in turning the present day harmony and stability into economic advantage, which Brunei should surely do for the sake of the future.

And they urged Brunei should do, whatever is necessary, it in a hurry and there was much catching up to do. Or we shall miss the boat.

Brunei had all the ingredients to push forward to achieve an economic miracle. But it seems to lack the main recipe: The will to power.

There seem to be no urgency, apart from paying lip service, to get things going and make a concerted effort to pull Brunei out of its current doldrums, the visitors noted.

"There seems to a great degree of bewilderment here. They are tying themselves in knows and do not know where to begin," commented a visitor. And the big question remains whether the sultanate will overcome this mental block and has the guts and the gumption to begin to organize itself in the coming twelvemonth. That is anyone's guess, was their comment.

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