Understanding PPPs Plays Key Role In National Development
By Za’im Zaini

Bandar Seri Begawan - A one-day workshop on `understanding public private partnership (PPPs) jointly organised by the Ministry of Defence and the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB), was held yesterday at the Rizqun International Hotel.

The workshop began with a welcoming address by the Acting BEDB chairman, Dato Paduka Timothy Ong, followed by a, keynote address by the Deputy Defence Minister, Pehin Colonel (rtd) Dato Hj Mohammad Yasmin bin Hj Umar.

More than 100 senior officers from government agencies, public corporations and the private sector were at the opening session. International speakers presented talks on the various critical aspects of Public Private Partnerships during the workshop. The director of Price Waterhouse Coopers (S'pore), Mark Rathbone, gave an overview of PPPs, while the managing partner of Lovells Lee & Lee (S'pore), James Harris, talked on the "legal and regulatory aspects of PPPs".

The financing aspects of PPPs were presented by Lynn Tho, Project and Export Finance director, HSBC Singapore.

On his part, Dato Ong said: "I believe that both the government sector and private sector have the same goal - to assist in developing the economy of the country. While the government sector has the advantage of planning a long-term framework and a wide view to develop the economy, the private sector has an advantage in the implementation of efficient economic activities."

Public Private Partnerships will also help to reinforce the existing partnerships between the private and the public sector, for our public sector to become more efficient, and the private sector to continuously improve their competitiveness and dynamism in the marketplace, he added.

Public Private Partnerships is system in which a government service or private business venture is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies.

Partnerships of this sort are being increasingly used around the world to deliver high quality services and ensure that public assets are delivered on time and to budget, as in infrastructure projects.

The workshop also featured a role-play learning exercise, which enabled participants to apply their knowledge on PPPs to a fictional case study.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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