14 / 260
12
Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2021
FOREWORD
Ramadhan in 2020, zikir and prayer books were
prepared for in-house Terawih prayers to ensure
we can continue to carry out our obligations as
normal as possible. Additionally, services have
been made available online such as e-learning
and other initiatives where the provision of
bandwidth have enabled sustained access to
online services.
In times of crisis, it is natural to see a rise in
unemployment. This is why Brunei Darussalam
placed the protection of jobs and the provision
of support to those who need it most as one
of the key priorities. The initiative was a
collaborative effort with employment-providers
as well as the financial institutions to alleviate
their financial burden in order to minimise
the number of jobs lost. This was conducted
through measures such as deferments on
contributions towards Employees Trust Funds
and Supplementary Contributory Pension,
deferment of loan repayments, and provision
of salary subsidies for micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) and others.
Without doubt, the role of the private sector is
pivotal and will only be more vital over time in
driving Brunei Darussalam’s economic growth,
so business continuity is crucial during times
of crisis. To protect the private sector, both
the Government and the private sector joined
hands through the provision of online platforms
like ‘Community for COVID’ and ‘Community for
Ramadhan’ which provide alternative routes
for business-owners to reach out to customers.
Other measures were also taken such as the
provision of discounts on utilities, rental and
corporate income tax.
2020 saw an escalation in the integration of
technology in day-to-day lives of Bruneians. One
notable example is the high acceptance of the
BruHealth app that has helped to ensure that
useful data is available to assist stakeholders
such as the Ministry of Health in managing
the COVID-19 crisis. The launch of the ‘Sistem
Kebajikan Negara’ is also a step forward in
digitalisation and with many more efforts
towards the effective use of technology, Brunei
Darussalam maintains her steady stride towards
the Smart Nation initiative.
As we kick off 2021, Brunei Darussalam has the
opportunity to further foster cooperation and
unity around the region as the country takes
over the ASEAN chairmanship. It comes during
a time when a coordinated approach and joint
action are key to ensure the wellbeing of all in
the region, after the limits of global disaster
preparedness have been tested. So it is in this
spirit that, the theme under Brunei Darussalam’s
chairmanship this year is ‘We Care, We Prepare,
We Prosper’.
All in all, 2020 has been an eventful year to say
the least. And one of the key takeaways from
the year is the strength of the Brunei Spirit
of solidarity, and under the caring leadership
of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah
Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-
Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, may the Brunei
Spirit reverberate into 2021 and beyond as the
global economy works towards its recovery.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia
Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II