Seminar On Civil Service That Is Modem And Red Tape-Free
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - "There are cases where the public is not satisfied with some public services.

There is an indication of a bureaucratic machinery with loads of red tape. But in Brunei, there is a movement for review with respect to decision-making and policy, and a committee has been formed called Public Service Committee to improve public service."

"There are `absolute' procedures for review. Then, there is the Management Service Department (MSD), a complaint bureau. Telbru, for instance, was formed as part of the initiative to provide effective and efficient service to the public."

This was stated in a press conference by Public Service Department in response to the theme selected for the upcoming Eastern Regional Organisation for Public Administration seminar where the theme selected is "Modernising the Civil Service in Alignment with National Development Goals".

One of the reasons why this theme was chosen is to align it with one of the Prime Minister's Office strategic themes "Modernise the Civil Service".

This is in light of the changing organisational environment that realises the weaknesses of traditional public bureaucracies, the needs for liberalisation of public sector management, the pressure to provide "Good Public Governance" and the rapid development of e-government to facilitate the achievement of good public governance.

The theme is also chosen in light of continuous and fast-changing environment, particularly those emanating from the process of globalisation brought about by the rapid advancement of information technology.

These changes have affected the way we live, the way we work and how we conduct ourselves with each other. It calls for a paradigm shift in the system of management and work culture in the civil service.

The civil service can no longer confine its services to the traditional roles of peace keeper, law enforcer, regulator and service provider, but should also act as facilitator, thinker and moderniser. All these are aimed at-providing the people and state with good governance.

The theme was also chosen in view of the rapid advancement of IT that we should take leverage to speed up our decision-making processes so that we can render the services to the public more efficiently and effectively.

The three-day seminar will be officiated on November 14, 2006. A keynote address on the main theme will be delivered by Dato Seri Paduka Eussof Agaki Hj Ismail, Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office.

Five local speakers and 41 foreign presenters have agreed to present their papers. The local speakers include Pg Dato Paduka Hj Abd Hamid, Permanent Secretary at the PM's Office; Awg Hj Ahmad Hj Abd Rahman, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the PM's Office; Pg. Kasmirhan Pg. Hj Tahir, Director of Anti-Corruption Bureau; Dato Paduka Hj Malai Ali Hj Malai Othman, Board of Director at the Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies and Dr. Azaharaini Hj Md. Jamil, Executive Director of Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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