'Hear Private Sector’s Feedback'
By Shareen Han

Bandar Seri Begawan - Governments should place more emphasis on feedback from the private sector to further develop good governance in the public sector, said His Royal Highness Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Eastern Regional Organisation for Public Administration (Eropa) seminar yesterday, His Royal Highness, stressed that it was important for the public and private sectors to facilitate a strategic partnership with each other.

"The success of these partnerships relies upon trust, mutually agreed objectives and a governance framework that establishes transparent decision making," His Royal Highness said.

"The public service must be perceived positively as an organisation that is committed to act in a manner that is worthy of the public trust, and this trust needs to be justified at all times by conducting itself in a manner that is able to withstand the most intense scrutiny," His Royal Highness added.

His Royal Highness further pointed out that the forces of globalisation plays a critical role in determining socio-economic development.

"With the onset of globalisation, there is a redefinition of the role of public service in providing a conducive environment for investment and growth."

"The emphasis now is on the elements of public accountability, transparency, prevention of corruption, best work practices, institutional human capacity building and development of information technology," His Royal Highness stated.

His Royal Highness said Brunei has established "The Public Service Vision towards the 21st century" to improve the civil service and to meet the challenges of change.

"As such, upgrading the skills, competitiveness and professionalism of our public officials is now a prime necessity," His Royal Highness said.

His Royal Highness also stated that this human resource development initiative has resulted in the biggest investment in the public sector to date, with an allocation of an additional $250 million to the current development plan.

Meanwhile, Dato Paduka Hj Saifon Hj Besar, director general of public service, in his opening remarks at the ceremony, said that the civil service requires modernisation so that they would be better equipped to handle the expectations of citizens, businesses and other agencies.

"If the government wants to be effective in delivering services the way people wish for, it needs to change," he said. He also said the theme of the seminar was chosen due to the fast paced technological advancements and chan es in lifestyle.

"The seminar on 'Modernising The Civil Service in Alignment with National Development Goals' was chosen because the public service is facing uncertainties and constraints in the dynamic internal and external environment," he said.

His Royal Highness also consented to receive a pesambah or a token of appreciation from the Director-General of Public Service and the Honourable Patricia A Sto Tomas, Secretary General of Eropa.

Brunei is hosting the four-day Eropa seminar at the International Convention Centre. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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