Brunei - The Next 30 Years

I was glad to hear that the Economic Planning and Development Department finally announcing the publication of the long awaited Brunei's Long Term Development Plan when I was away. I was even more glad to see the hard bound copies of the plan in my in-tray when I returned back to work yesterday afternoon.

The plan contained the government's vision of what Brunei should be in 2035 - Wawasan Brunei 2035 - and outlined the plan how to get there. The foreword from His Majesty in the book is particularly apt: "My government is not only responsible for our people today. It must also help fulfill their hopes for our next generation. To do this, it must listen to them and offer clear-sighted, realistic plans for the future that can be implemented with skill and professionalism."

This plan was prepared by the Council for Long-Term Development Plan and talked to a number of Bruneians, not just in the government, but also in the private sector and other sectors as well and asked them what kind of country they wish Brunei to be 30 years on and have identified many of the all encompassing demands with regard to personal, social, spiritual and economic challenges.

After consulting this wide cross section of the Brunei's society, what we as a country had hoped for was:

a. To maintain the political stability Brnei continues to enjoy
b. To preserve our social, cultural, spiritual and historic values
c. To help our people meet the practical challenges of the modern world successfully
d. To give our families and communities confidence in the future

As a result, this plan was produced which identifies the critical aspect of national planning and reflected the broad aims set out as aove, the policy directions for the government and the specific programmes and projects that are required. The book is divided into three parts - the first part summarising a vision for the future that will fulfill our long term hopes and expectations - the second part lists 50 policy directions for the government to follow over the next 10 years and the third part sets out specific proposals and projects for the government over the next 5 years.

If you can only afford one book this year, then I would suggest get this book. It's available in either English or Malay and priced at only $15 (for a soft copy) or if you feel a bit richer, get the hard copy for $25 from the Economic and Planning Development folks at Block 2A, Jalan Ong Sum Ping. I was told you can get it at all Bismi and Pustaka Remaja bookstores as well.