|
Brunei Should Develop 'First
World' Mentality
By P. Marilyn
Bandar Seri
Begawan - A major shift in the mindset of our people, from
children to parents, from teachers to government leaders, from farmers
to corporate leaders is needed for Brunei to compete with the best in
the world and not just be a mere follower.
|
To be a developed or developing
country is not just a matter of increasing the GDP and per capita
income of a country but instead it is also essential to develop a
mindset, which is a high-performance culture and the key to it is
the requirement for creative, inventive, innovative and
entrepreneurial resources.
To join the developed nation and
to maintain that position, Brunei must develop a "First World"
mentality to be focused on and adhere to it.
Minister of Industry and Primary
Resources, Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Dr Awg
Haji Ahmad bin Hj Jumat, said this in his speech during the Live
WIRE Brunei Business Award Competition 2005-2006 held at the Hua
Ho Manggis Ballroom, yesterday.
"It is often said that being
inventive or being innovative is not part of the Brunei culture,
that the Asian tradition of |
Advertisement
|
|
subservience and conformity is
incompatible with the culture of creative thinking, which often is
about changing.
It is also said that as people
who adhere strictly to religious teaching, thinking creatively
goes against the grain. It is said that as Asians, we have a
cultural inclination to blend in and not be heard or seen.
"I think Bruneians are naturally
gifted with creative abilities like other people. To bring out the
best in our young, we require a culture that inspires and not one
that stifles.
"The Ministry of Industry and
Primary Resources has a high vision of achievements, returns and
sustainable progress into the future of the beloved country Brunei
Darussalam. By 2023, the ministry's contribution would have
reached B$4.5 billion from a mere B$0.5 billion now. The people's
estimated capacity for knowledge, creativity, innovativeness,
outward-looking entrepreneurs, would have then moved up.
"And for the country, the
ministry's other forecasted achievements would be measured by job
opportunities realised, entrepreneurs growth, its exports,
investment inflows and not least important the high level of human
resources productivity.
To me, Brunei Darussalam must
follow an integrated approach to development. Outcomes, policies
institutions, social and cultural values and the political
dynamics of implementation all reinforced each other. Leadership
is imperative for effective governance," said the minister.
On the Live WIRE Brunei Business
Award Competition 2005-2006, he applauded LiveWIRE Brunei and its
jointsponsor BSP and HSBC for not only giving recognition and
rewards to the young people who have taken on the challenges of
business but also for continuously making the LiveWIRE Programme
sustainable in the interest of long term economic development of
SMEs in the country. |
"I would suggest LiveWIRE to review
the success and failure stories if any and forward to the ministry for
stocktaking of the ministry's future journey forward," he added.
He said that we must remind ourselves
of the complexities of planning and even more complex process of
implementation and coordination, until we see' the outcomes and
results of the implemented schemes and policies.
Admittedly, the government has a
vested interest to see that the plans are successfully carried out."
Pehin Awg Haji Ahmad summed up the main responsibilities of the
ministry and the departments under it into two fundamental tasks.
The first would be to implement the
policy of diversification of the economy of Brunei in order to match
up with the current major income earner that of oil and gas. The
second fundamental task would be in the process of diversification of
the economy and hence expanding the sources of income for our country,
the ministry and departments under it are striving towards
transforming or making the future of Brunei as one of flourishing
business communities, and the creation of entrepreneurial and producer
societies.
He believed it is therefore incumbent
on the Bruneians especially the younger generation to make the best
efforts to make the private sector highly competitive and responsive
to the task. --
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Click
Here To Have Your Say On This Story
Brudirect.com News
|
