Brunei GDP per capita 5th highest

A worker walking past piles of containers at Muara Port, Muara. Picture:BT file

Goh De No
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, September 25, 2010

BRUNEI’s gross domestic product per capita (GDP) was listed as the fifth highest in the world with a per capita income of US$48,714 ($68,200) by US business publication, Global Finance.

The publication said figures of 2010 were estimates and Qatar has emerged as the richest with a per capita income of US$90,149. Luxembourg, which was world’s wealthiest country for a long time, followed in second with a per capita income of US$,79,411.

“The third spot went to Norway with per capita GDP at US$52,964 followed by Singapore with US$52,940 then Brunei,” the publication said.

The US improved its position to claim number sixth position with per capita earnings of US$47,702 followed by Hong Kong, US$44,840 and Switzerland US$43,903.

An Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) report released last month stated that for 2009, Brunei posted the second largest GDP per capita in purchasing power parities (PPP) terms in Asia for 2009 at US$48,194 ($67,472) for the year of 2009, not registering much difference from 2008 which was listed at US$48,851, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report stated.

The estimates from Global Finance for 2010’s GDP shows a very slight improvement but still isn’t as good as Brunei’s figures of 2008. In its Asian Development Outlook 2010 report released in April, the ADB said the Brunei economy is expected to grow by 1.1 per cent in 2010, which is an accurate estimate to what Global Finance has stated.

The Brunei Times

Brunei Darussalam 50 years ago

Photo shows Kampong Ayer in the old days. The total population in 1960 had not even reached the 100,000 mark yet. The Sultanate has seen vast development and progress since the 1960s. Picture: Brunei History Centre

Photo shows cars at The Mall Gadong causing a traffic jam come salary day. Picture: BT/Zamri Zainal

Rozan Yunos
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, September 20, 2010

THE Brunei Annual Report of 1960, exactly 50 years ago had a very short general review. Not only is it short, it was also toned-down despite the fact that the new Constitution was promulgated the year before.

It stated: “The year showed a steady decline in the revenue of the State, due no doubt to the fall off in the production of oil and partly to the trade recession as a result of there being no new development plan being introduced by the Government.”

“Retrenchment of staff in the Public Works Department has caused concern and until a new development plan is introduced this situation will not improve. The Public Works Department has virtually ceased all large-scale activities, and the two new hospitals which it was hoped to build have not eventuated.”

“Brunei, under the new Constitution promulgated in September, 1959 acquired internal self-Government, and is administered by the Executive and Legislative Councils. Meetings of the Executive Council are held fortnightly.”

How much was the shortfall in oil in 1960? According to the exports data, in 1958, the value of export was $326,877,860 of which crude oil formed around $300,429,129.

By 1960, crude oil only contributed $240,065,782, a drop of more than $60 million in just two years. The total exports in 1960 were $255,388,011, a drop of around $74 million.

Surprisingly there was a rally of rubber exports, increasing from about $1,717,960 in 1958 to about $5,067,140 in 1960 but even then that was not enough to overcome the lower oil exports.

What was not mentioned in the report was that throughout 1914 to 1960, Brunei’s only producing field was onshore in Seria. Between those years, 48 exploration wells were drilled. Prior to World War Two, production had risen to 17,000 barrels per day in 1940. Despite the extensive damage to the field caused by both the British and Japanese Forces, post war production had peaked to about 15,000 barrels per day.

The year 1960 was a worrying year in terms of oil production. It was not until 1963 that the South West Ampa field was discovered, 13km off Kuala Belait’s shoreline.

Despite that, there were still surpluses and the savings were kept aside in the investments fund. In 1960, the government’s revenue was more than $127 million while expenditure was around $31 million giving a surplus of around $96 million. This was about $3 million lower compared to the previous year.

By 1960, the government’s accumulated assets had exceeded $700 million.

The total population in 1960 had not even reached the 100,000 mark yet. There were 31,708 people in Belait District, 27,809 in Rural Brunei District, 10,710 in Tutong District, 9,702 in Brunei Municipal Area and 3,948 in Temburong District giving a total population of Brunei Darussalam of only 83,877. About 39,109 or around 46 per cent of the population were below the age of 15.

In terms of racial division, the Malays make up 45,153 people, the Chinese 21,795 with the rest of 16,047 made up of the various indigenous groups.

More than 4,105 births were recorded in 1960; however 284 of these babies died before reaching the age of one. Of these 284 deaths, 56 were from Tutong.

There were still a number of deliveries which were not delivered by the government midwives. The annual report noted that there is still “a hard core of refusals, with the result that there is a high maternal mortality rate”.

At the same time there were only 27 doctors throughout Brunei. In 1960, there were no private medical practitioners; all the doctors were either employed by the government or by Brunei Shell.

As for the number of hospital beds, there were 160 beds in Brunei Town, 75 beds in Kuala Belait and another 120 beds in BSP Hospital. Despite the growing interest in nursing, the number of Bruneians willing to become nurses was not up to expectation.

Tuberculosis (TB) was still a worrying problem in 1960. There were 3,722 cases in 1960 alone. In the meantime, malaria has almost been eradicated with the number of cases dropping from 3,062 in 1953 to only 16 in 1960.

Typhoid fever was still endemic with most cases coming from Kampong Ayer. While in Tutong, there is an appreciable incidence of measles and gastroenteritis and filariasis. Whilst today we worry about the Bird Flu and the Swine H1N1 flu, in 1960 it was the Asian flu which was a concern with more than 3,665 cases.

In terms of education, the government invested a huge amount of money. By 1960, there were 16,679 students registered. There were almost 70 Malay Primary schools open throughout the country but only three government English schools. Private schools abounded in those days with eight mission schools and eight Chinese schools.

In April 1960, the first Lower Sixth Form was started in SOAS College. The report noted that this was “an event of momentous importance as the hitherto the highest level of instruction of any school in Brunei was Form Five”.

Brunei’s Supreme Court in 1960 was still the combined Supreme Courts of Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court. There was only one High Court Judge (sitting five times in Brunei) and one Stipendiary Magistrate (from Singapore).

Unfortunately there was no resident lawyer and anybody who wished to have legal representation was dependent on visiting counsels from outside Brunei.

There was still insufficient police force in Brunei then. They had to be assisted by a Volunteer Police Force (Oilfields Security Force), one platoon from the Sarawak Constabulary Field Force and a detachment from the Royal Federation of Malaya Police. The Police Force then also managed the registration of vehicles and the fire brigade.

Water supplies were still insufficient. In 1960, the water treatment plant at Sungai Basong was commissioned. The plant employing a microstrainer was the first of its kind to be used in South East Asia. Piped water finally reached Serdang, Katimahar, Kulapis, Mulaut and Delima.

Many other areas beyond Brunei Town were still without piped water. Kampong Ayer too finally had treated water.

The Brunei Legislative Council formulated under the new 1959 Constitution met three times in 1960 whereas the Executive Council met about 30 times.

The new Constitution meant that four important positions had to be filled namely the Chief Minister or Menteri Besar who was Pehin Dato Haji Ibrahim Jaafar, the State Secretary was Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, the Attorney General was Inche Ali bin Hassan and MDB Graham was the State Financial Officer.

Most importantly, 1960 was the first full year that Brunei had internal self government. The British Resident post had been abolished and Great Britain appointed DC White as the United Kingdom High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam. Despite the rather somber general review to the 1960 Annual Report, 1960 can be said to mark the beginning of the modern history of Brunei Darussalam.

The writer runs a website on Brunei at bruneiresources.com.

The Brunei Times

Bandar is used to be one of the busiest places in the old days. I still remember the day that Yayasan was the most popular place for shopping and family to go out. Even getting a parking was very difficult in those day although there are basement parking and open parking on the outside, but the open parking on the outside of Yayasan was always full. But look at it now; it is very rare to see the park area to be full, except for big event involving with the Taman, such as National Day, HM’s Birthday, Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday, and etc.

Bandar is now very quite, especially in the evening after office hour. With less people going, more shop closed early at night. Some even closed at 6-7pm. Business is getting down and down for the sellers.

Although many attempt has been done to improved the ‘quite’ town situation to get more people going to Bandar but none had work.

I remember there is a Weekend Market at the Bandar, stalls setting up along the Jalan Sultan. The response was very good at first. So many local people start to do business on the street during the weekend. People would go there with family to see the night scene of Bandar. There was event a mini-concert set up in the middle of the market for more attractions.

But look at it now, its getting less and less people involved, no more attraction, no more business. It received the same fate as Bandar, business is getting to disappear slowly. I remember the last time I went there was before Ramadhan, but there was only few stalls set up for business, around 3-4 stalls. And it was totally no stalls or no market at all during the Ramadhan and Syawal month set up until now.

It is understandable that the market was stopped during Ramadhan as there was also Ramadhan stalls set up in front of the Royal Regalia. And Syawal is for the Muslim to enjoy Hari Raya. But we are now almost at the end of Syawal, so what happened to the market?

So what make it people for having lack of interest to go to Bandar? And going to the Weekend Market? How to attract our people? Or to be exact, how to prevent Bandar from transforming into a Ghost Town?

[by Mr X]

Bandar Seri Begawan – An integrated Public Transport (IPT) system proposed for the Bandar Seri Begawan Development Masterplan is not only expected to offer improved services to the public but will be more cost-effective in the use of resources, according to the project consultant.

Francis Sootoo, Director of MVA, the consultancy firm tasked with the planning and development of Brunei’s public transport system, spoke to the Bulletin about the recent proposal and its materialisation in the next 25 years.

“The goal is to provide seamless travel where you can move from one mode of transport, or route, to another easily so that people would find public transport a convenient way of getting from one point to another in the shortest time possible,” he told the Bulletin.

To ensure that this seamless interchange can occur, the consultants have proposed well-designed efficient interchanges where passengers can wait or interchange between services in comfort, an integrated fare system that does not penalise passengers who interchange, coordinated service planning, transport facilities and services of different mode to be located close to one another, and a unified timetable and passenger informatidn.

According to Sootoo, MVA is also specifying the characteristics of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) or Tramway that is required. The specifications are as follows:
• The system should operate at ground level, on its own right of way for reasons, of safety and efficiency, with stops every 400 metres;
• Overall commercial speed with an allowance for bus stops, of about 20 kilometres;
• Passenger capacity would be in range of 2,500 to 8,000 passengers per hour per direction, so that daily passengers in the long term could be about 80,000 per day;
• Vehicles would be air-conditioned, capacity of about 300 passengers, operating with a three-minute headway;
• Power source would be from above via a catenary, although there is an option of a third rail; and,
• Appropriate vehicles would be those on the Modern European systems such as in Nice and Bordeaux.

“It is anticipated that trams would benefit Bandar Seri Begawan because the number of residents, visitors and businesses are expanding, especially in the key areas adjacent to the river corridor, which will be served by trams,” Sootoo said.

“While growth maybe good for our economy, it also means that our roads will get busier and journeys take longer without a new transport choice.

Trams can carry large numbers of people quickly and efficiently (and) do not take up a lot of road space,” he added.

Last month, representatives of the BSB Development Masterplan announced the expansion of the proposed LRT into an IPT system, which will include all modes of transport systems in the bid to significantly improve the country’s public transportation system- by 2035. — Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Dear Editor,

THERE has been a promising trend lately on the move towards the establishment of a LRT facility designed to improve the efficiency of public transport in and around Bandar Seri Begawan.

But all this will only materialise when its construction is completed and the first phase commences operation in five years.

What then will happen within that time frame? Just wait and do nothing?

Introduce more buses, employ more drivers and conductors, preferably locals who have vast knowledge of the routes, employ strategies to evaluate their driving so that they know that their duration of employment and salaries are based on their strict adherence to rules and regulations. And introduce and maintain more regularity in the timing that these buses stop at the prescribed bus-stop locations.

If and when this plan is launched, I will be among the first batch of willing passengers to board the bus from home to office and back and pay the fare, no complaints and no questions asked whatsoever. And may public transport especially in and around BSB be made more efficient and much more trustworthy than what we have at present.

Ugan Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan

Wow. I am seriously amazed at how small minded people still continue to exist in this country. How can you truly not foresee how much the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages of having an LRT?

Our country’s economy at this point in time is so stagnant, how you realised?

We need to galvanise it by doing something truly proactive like creating LRT. Even at the cost of 10 million, yes, because you are dreaming if you think we can go anywhere and do anything without spending a cent. Like people would say ‘Kan karit ani sadang-sadang jua nya orang, berpikiran jua apa yang patut’. So this of the advantages for the future of Brunei.

While we wait and complain about how much developing our country costs, we are being left even more far behind the rest of the region. Did you not take into consideration that countries like Singapore had originally not been so rich a country compared to Brunei, yet they understood that they had to sacrifice much in order to gain much more.

Don’t think so small, grow, get out of the country to learn and see for yourself how other countries have thought out their development. All countries spend in order to develop. Brunei has always been too overly cautious and now see where we are now compared to the countries who used to be poorer. I do not want people with closed minds to control my future

[by prolrt]

1. Reducing the car traffic, which leads to

2. Greener environment.

3. More job opportunities as LRT personnel (service industry) for unskilled staff like water taxi workers.

4. High influx of tourism from the whole of Borneo Island, which leads to,

5. Water taxis being more popular as tourist attractions, and

6. Increase in national income due to inflow of tourist spending.

7. Brunei is already heading towards establishing a more ‘greener’ environment, which means there will be less cars on the road anyway so LRT is good.

8. LRT makes people interact more due to less separation every day.

9. Bruneians lose weight by using their legs more by walking to the LRT stations (slim Bruneians! can you imagine?)

10. No stress over PARKING. There, 10 reasons listed for having an LRT. So think about it. Can anyone give 10 reasons they are disadvantageous to us?

Dear Editor,

THIS refers to the letter published in your newspaper on August 25 regarding Light Rail Transit system in Brunei. I fully agree with the writer that given the population and topography of the country, LRT is not suitable for Brunei.

First of all, we must remember that countries which have LRT/MRT have a very large commuter population. For example, in Singapore or Mumbai, daily a large number of people from far-flung areas take trains to reach their places of work. For them, it is both convenient and economical. I am afraid these two elements are missing in Brunei. We don’t have a large workforce which travels from one end of the country to the other daily. This means that the price of the ticket will not be very low.

So, it’s better that we opt for greener transport system. Electric-powered buses are the best solution as except for from Bandar to KB, there are hardly any long routes. Such buses will be economical as well as environment friendly.

KPS

Artist’s rendition of how the bridge based on Islamic architecture might look

$2.8M feasibility study gets under way / Islamic architecture to be incorporated

Bandar Seri Begawan – A memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Ove Arup and Associates for the feasibility study to construct a road and bridge linking Brunei-Muara and Temburong districts was signed yesterday at the Ministry of Development.

Minister of Development Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Suyoi bin Hj Osman said the decision to construct the bridge linking Temburong and the capital would be based on the outcome of the study.

“The outcome would later be discussed with the relevant agencies. If the parties involved agreed for it to be implemented, then we would commit ourselves to building the bridge. At present, we cannot comment whether to construct or otherwise,” the minister, who was the chief guest and witnessed the signing, added.

The government through the National Development Plan has allocated a sum for the feasibility study to be implemented.

The study costing over B$2.8 million is to make a thorough analysis on issues involved in plans to construct a road and bridge connecting the two districts.

The study will identify several main aspects including socio-economy, technical, environment, financial and so on. The government will decide whether to build a bridge in the near future, based on the information gathered for the study.

Minister takes a closer look at an exhibit showcasting Ove Arup’s expertise in building bridges worldwide. Photos: Azlan Othman

The minister said the design of the bridge, if built, would be unique, using Islamic architecture. He said Ove Arup has a lot of experience in designing and building bridges in more than 30 countries.

Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Minister of Development Dato Paduka Awg Hj Ali bin Hj Apong; Permanent Secretary (Administration and Finance) Awg Hj Mohd Rozan bin Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos; Acting Permanent Secretary (Technical and Professional) Awg Hj Mohd Zin bin Hj Salleh; Acting Director-General of Public Works, Dyg Hjh Marhani binti Abdullah and other senior officers.

The Government of His Majesty was represented at the MoA signing by Hj Mohd Zin and Dyg Hjh Marhani while the Director of Ove Arup Lim Siew Yong and Senior Director of Ove Arup Naeem U Hussain represented Ove Amp.

Mr Naeem said, “We want the bridge to be unique, be recognisable in Brunei using Islamic architecture. The bridge will span 22 kilometres including 12km across the water and another 10km across the mangrove swamp. We will design in such a way the mangroves are preserved.

“It would be a dual two-lane road. We will look at the cost as the cost is a very important consideration and we will look at the possible phasing of the bridge,” he said.

Adding that Temburong has limited development, Mr Naeem also said the construction of the link would facilitate the transportation of agricultural products and bring a lot of opportunities for tourism development in the Temburong District dubbed as the “Green Jewel” as tour agents could send tourists directly to Temburong from the airport and supply water to the capital. The study would be completed in nine months.

At present, commuters from the capital heading to Temburong and vice versa have to pass through Limbang or take a boat ride along the Brunei River. — Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin