Scholar Explains Why Brunei's Economic Diversification Fails
By Shareen Han

Bandar Seri Begawan - Twenty years of Brunei's efforts to diversify its economy and lessen dependence on oil and gas have not succeeded because of the country's poor human resources, said the Centre of Strategic and Policy Studies executive director, Dr Azaharaini Mohd Jamil.

Dr Azaharaini told the Eastern Regional Organisation of Public Administration (Eropa) forum how studies have shown that the private sector remained weak despite 20 years of diversification efforts. "The slow growth of the private sector has been caused by factors including over dependence on oil and gas, the immature domestic market forces and a government policy with the attitude that it should continue to play its traditional socio-economic role as a source of employment," he said.

He cited rising unemployment and the insignificant contributions from small medium enterprises and foreign direct investments as evidence of the slow progress in economic diversification.

Dr Azaharaini, in his presentation on Performance Management in the Brunei Civil Service: Issues and Challenges, claimed that "inadequacies in human resources seem to contribute the most impediments to economic progress in Brunei's context".

"If Brunei is to improve its economic competitiveness, the improvement of performance of the civil service is crucial and the focus should be on enhancing the performance of our human resources he said.

He spoke of the need to monitor and manage the performance of every government employee so that it fits into their respective job specifications and the relevant knowledge and skills to perform their jobs effectively. He added that the practice of Brunei's performance appraisal system, introduced in 1988, had weaknesses that needed to be addressed. Meanwhile, Dato Paduka Awg Saifon Besar, the director general of Public Service and chairman of the seminar's organising committee said the civil service needed to benchmark themselves against better public services to continue their pursuit for excellence in the regional and international context.

Speaking during a press conference, Dato Saifon stated that the four-day seminar, which drew to a close yesterday, deliberated on modernisation efforts for civil services to remain relevant, capable and efficient.

"We have taken the initiative to review the performance appraisal system, development of strategic thinking and planning, the call for wider private sector to accelerate growth and the introduction of human resource development programs, he said.

He added that the seminar provided the delegates with the opportunity to forge a stronger cooperation and exchange information to realise the aspirations of further development. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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