Let me start off with this: I am worried.

For the past one year I have been liaising with my architect and persistently chasing the authorities to obtain approval for me to own and build my dream home. The long red tape still exists. The approval still has to go through at least six departments before one receives any formal reply. Imagine the joy I felt when it finally came through at the end of last year.

However, I am now faced with another huge hurdle. The initial cost required for me to build my house has increased by some 25%. One can imagine having to fork out an additional $50,000 for a house that initially costs $212,000. I am now down to square one with my financial plan worked out earlier with my bank. The amount for the loan's interest rate is not small.

I see a lot of Bruneians owning homes and I just cannot understand it. How do they cope or attempt to settle a bank loan that is nearly double the construction cost? Mind you, I am working in the private sector. When my contractor informed me in the third quarter of last year that the prices of steel (or any related materials) and PVC pipes have increased by 30% since the beginning of 2004, I felt queasy. There was a lot of speculation in the market on the outcome of the prices. In countries like Singapore and Australia, there is a form of governance or control of the selling prices of materials.

To add more to my dismay, came an announcement in the Borneo Bulletin (date 12/01/2004), "all ready mixed concrete price shall be increased by B$25.00 per m3 in line with the increase of cement and other raw material prices."

I am now stuck. Do I give in to owning a home or wait for the uncertain. No one knows when such construction prices will reduce or do they, judging from history? I could downsize my house and work within the forced budget.

By doing so, I have to re-do my housing plans and resubmit for approval again. More architect fees, more time wasted. But will it also cost more to extend in the future? I am 30 something. I plan to have a reasonable sized family and give them a reasonably good life, all with minimum financial debts. I do not want to keel over suddenly and leave debts behind. To have all these commitments and juggle them for a lifetime is not easy.

Will the relevant department please intervene or at least respond to a cry for help by a citizen?

- Dilemma Rakyat Brunei

This is concerning the recently renovated road leading to the Gadong Police Headquarters and the Narcotics Control Bureau Headquarters.

Previously, there were road humps to slow speeding vehicles so that vehicles can come out from the Gadong Police Headquarters and the Narcotics Control Bureau Headquarters safely.

But after the road renovation, the contractor has not put back the road humps.

Can somebody tell us why the road humps have not been rebuilt?

- Concern Road User

I've been living in Kampong Rambai since my husband retired from his job.

Thanks to His Majesty's surprise visit to Tasek Merimbun several months ago (if I'm not mistaken), the road has been repaired.

However, the condition of the road is in bad shape due to some problems.

It is still under repair and does not look likely to finish though they have been at it since last year.

One more thing, everyday it has been a routine for us (who live in Kampong Rambai) to encounter lumps of buffalo dung on the road.

Please do something about these buffaloes. A friend of mine almost had an accident trying to avoid the dung. So, who's to blame? Cows or drivers?

- Motorist

I fully agree with the writer of "Taking care of luggage" on Jan. 19, 2005. I also have encountered a similar problem when returning from KL last year.

I was furious after having to wait half an hour at the luggage collecting area to find my luggage torn and in a very sorry state when it fYet they still provide good service.

What could the reason be for our long wait? Brunei Airport is so small and has limited number of flights and passangers to handle, yet it takes ages to clear our luggage.

Why can't we move as fast as KLIA or Changi Airport where the airport is many times bigger than ours and have thousands of passangers to handle.

Yet they still provide good service.

- Another Disappointed Traveller

Despite our various complaint letters to the respective government department on the errant workshop operating in the same shop house as our office, we are very frustrated and disappointed that there are still no action taken on this errant workshop.

The workshop has used up most of the parking space of the shop house with ten to fifteen cars permanently parked at the parking area.

In order to secure a parking space, we have no choice but to put up a "No Parking" sign at the front of our office unit.

The sign however was destroyed into two pieces the next day.

When confronted, they chose to ignore us. Before this workshop moved into the shop house, such acts of vandalism never existed in this area.

We wish the respective government department could spare some time to inspect this matter and please take action on this errant workshop.

- Very Frustrated

I have been a subscriber of espeed2 for four months now and as promised by the sales people, I would be issued with an IP address soon. But I have been waiting for the past three months now and still have no information from JTB.

What is going on? We are your valued customers and should not be treated like this. I have read a number of complaints in the Borneo Bulletin for the past months on espeed2 services and I am beginning to totally agree with all those people.

I would have considered switching over to espeed1 but I am trying to calculate the losses that I would make in payments that have already been made for the current service.

I hope my problem can be taken with serious consideration and be resolved immediately. I hope the ministry would take some action on this as well since there has been countless complaints on these services.

Customers like us who have children abroad can't even communicate through MSN chat or Yahoo chat due to the lousy connections that I am getting. This has increased my phone bills as well.

It is not about the money but about the service and quality.

- Concerned Customer

I refer to promotional fares, offered by our national carrier to fly to destinations such as Manila, Surabaya, and Jakarta etc.

A ticket was purchased by one of our workers for BWN - MNL February 18 returning to Brunei on March 18 by a travel agent on December 29.

However due to unforeseen circumstances the worker had to make a home visit before the departure date on the ticket (an immigration requirement before his two year contract could be renewed) on January 31 to return to Brunei a month later.

When he told the travel agent of this change of date the agent promptly charged him an extra $150 for what was said to be a cancellation / issuance of a new ticket fee due to change of departure date.

What we need to know in this case, although the same person travelling to and from the same destination is now charged an additional fee just because he changed his dates, why was the term 'conditions apply' not explained when he first bought his ticket?

I wish to point out that the term 'promotional fare' is not therefore appropriate although the passenger is travelling to and fro well ahead of the earlier dates.

Now who would benefit in a case like this - would it be our national carrier or the travel agent?

Because this passenger was going to be charged again he has to be given only two weeks by Immigration after an extension of stay (i.e. pending ticket).

This courtesy by the airline is meaningless when the negligence of an incompetent travel agent who has not clearly explained to the traveller what the conditions were.

Under normal circumstances, the change of date would have cost us only $50 maximum, which some travel agents wouldn't have even charged us.

- Mohd SN

I would like to thank JTB for fixing and solving my phone problems. It has been back in service since Monday.

I wrote to the BB opinion last week regarding my phone line problem at the Sg. Besar area, which was published in the last Weekend. A JTB technician found a cable problem and managed to fix it the same day.

I am really happy with that action, which at the same time solved my problem regarding online Internet and communication requirement. Now I really appreciate the JTB motto 'biskita kami dulu kan'.

Special thanks to relevant JTB authorities for the action/feedback and also to the BB for publishing my opinion.

- 'Work Together Towards Future'

Last Sunday while my sister in-law was driving along the Kiulap road she suddenly noticed a roadblock being conducted and soon she was questioned by an officer.

The car she was driving had an expired road tax that my sister in-law had not been aware of.

Although the insurance was still valid, she had admitted to the officer that she was still the guilty party.

But what surprised her was that the officer addressing her angrily in a high-pitched voice and pointing his finger at her.

Is this the attitude of a government officer? Is this the correct way of dealing with people? Where are the politeness or 'Bersopan Santun' and the respect?

- Traumatised, BSB