Your Comments ... Click Here

A Glimpse Into The Future
By Ignatius Stephen

I landed at the airport at midnight.

Immigration was quick as they scanned my passport in few seconds and customs check was a breeze, easy as it goes.

Then I stepped into an underground bullet train and was whiffed into a fine hotel in the city and checked in and was in bed soon after. The whole process from the time of landing took only a matter of minutes.

No hassle, no problems. Just as smooth as can be. he next morning you took your breakfast in one of the underground restaurants below the hotel.

From there you could walk through the many connecting arcades that lead to the various parts of the city. The city itself had undergone a most spectacular transformation.

To begin with, it had become a centre of trade and commerce. And there were people bustling about everywhere. Malays, Chinese, Indians, Arabs and those from the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Europe and America and in fact, it was a babble of tongues. There were skyscrapers and numerous bridges and a modern transport system second to none.

It had developed into an international centre for business, finance, fashion, medicine, entertainment, media and culture, with an extraordinary array of museums, art galleries, performance venues, media outlets, international corporations and financial markets.

The city was also home to the Asean and APEC Secretariats, and to many of the region's finest monuments and buildings gracing the skyline. It became popularly known as one of the region's "Cites That Never Sleep".

The city attracted people from all over the globe who come for its economic opportunity, culture and fast-paced cosmopolitan lifestyle. The city's land was altered considerably by major human efforts, with substantial land reclamation along the waterfronts.

The transformation was most extensive. It rapidly grew in importance as a trading port. The city was revolutionised by a visionary idea a decade before that changed everything. And the idea? It abolished taxes on all trading goods.

It was a radical thought at that time that met with strong opposition. But it worked. It provided a catalyst. And from then on it gradually became a regional hub of international business and commerce. It finally stood as a "command centre" of Southeast Asian economy.

The city evolved as a major centre for finance, insurance, real estate, media and the arts in the region. Medical research and technology; non-profit institutions and universities; and fashion also developed. By now you must be thinking what I am driving at. And you may laugh it off if I say it was Bandar Seri Begawan that I landed in the year 2020 and witnessed all these chances. Nevertheless wait a minute.

Because Brunei could at least, I venture to envision, achieve some of these status if we adopt changes. And one of these changes surely must be aimed at is the abolishing of taxes on all trading goods not only coming in from the Asean region but also on products from around the world.

Brunei will, as a first step, become a major trading centre eventually if that is done. A free port status for the entire country: that is the idea. The nation is in an enviable, position to do this because it does not depend on taxes on imported goods for survival. Its oil revenue at the moment is enough to support itself.

And that fact should be taken advantage. According to International Monetary Fund estimates oil and gas revenue forms Brunei's main economic mainstay. So then why we waste our time and opportunity in imposing taxes on imported goods? That is the question many here ask.

It is only preventing the country from becoming a major trading centre. It will also lower prices of goods for the local people, many of whom are hard-pressed. What we need is a major departure from our conventional thinking. We should open our doors and our hearts, a young local university student told me recently.

We must welcome others to come and help us. We certainly cannot do it alone. We need now are new people and new ideas, the young woman suggested. Creative industries, like new media, advertising, design and architecture could account for a growing share of employment.

High-tech industries, for instance, software development, game design, and Internet services also could be established. Manufacturing of chemicals, metals and wood products, processed foods, and furniture are some of the principal products we could exploit. International shipping could also help the economy because of our Muara Port and Pulau Besar.

And you could go on. The possibilities are endless. We are only limited by our thinking, as someone said the other day.

You’re not thinking but merely dreaming. How can all those fancy stuffs possible by simply abolishing import tariffs? Is it really that simple?

What major trading centre” are you talking about? Abolishing import duties won’t make Brunei a trading centre what’s more a major one.

Simply, the logic is not there. With just under 400K people, the volume is not there. Why should foreign businesses have to go through Brunei to do their trades? What are the incentives? And what is there to trade in the first place? Apart from our oil and gas there is nothing much to be exported.

Name: SM

____________________________________

I think your articles are entertaining and makes interesting reading.

It makes good commonsense to open up Brunei even the borders so that people will come in to see this country.

If not, everyone here is just living in a 'glass tower' and not able to face competition as part of a lifestyle.

Keep on writing!!

Name: maureen
Email: maureenhntan@yahoo.com

Your Comments ... Click Here
View Old Talks ...  Click Here