Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0058/00584.txt

Text File | 1991-06-24 | 22KB | 505 lines

$Unique_ID{COW00584}
$Pretitle{406}
$Title{Brunei Darrussalam
Part 3E. Agriculture}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Embassy of Brunei Darussalam, Washington DC}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Brunei Darussalam, Washington DC}
$Subject{brunei
health
ministry
land
department
development
telephone
haji
country
dato}
$Date{1988}
$Log{Farm Worker*0058401.scf
}
Country:     Brunei Darrussalam
Book:        Brunei Darussalam in Profile
Author:      Embassy of Brunei Darussalam, Washington DC
Affiliation: Embassy of Brunei Darussalam, Washington DC
Date:        1988

Part 3E. Agriculture

[See Farm Worker: Courtesy Embassy of Brunei Darussalam]

     The Agriculture Department has seen its role increase in recent years
with the renewed emphasis on the importance of agriculture in the National
Plan. It has five main roles:

     - Increasing agricultural products in order to meet the 30 per cent
self-sufficiency targets during the current Five Year Plan.

     - Diversification of agricultural production.

     - To train and advise on agricultural activities.

     - To do research with a view to increasing the importance of agriculture
within Brunei.

     - To control the entry of animals and agricultural products with a view
to preventing possible contagious diseases from entering the country.

     Recent developments in agriculture and its overall role in the economy
are examined elsewhere in the Economic Profile (see page 122). The department
sees its role as that of a catalyst, with the aim of reducing dependence on
imported foodstuffs. The vast majority of Brunei's food is imported and
agriculture accounts for only 1 per cent of gross domestic product.

     Education, advice and training are the department's main activities in
improving agriculture. It runs a training college at Sinautand also funds a
research centre. These measures are aimed both at boosting the number of
trained agricultural personnel and widening the base of expertise. There have
been notable successes in egg production and poultry.

Fisheries

     The fishing industry in Brunei has been identified as one where it is
particularly important to increase activity by local businesses.

     The Fisheries Department has the task of evaluating the national
fisheries resources and developing them; developing aquaculture industry, such
as fish farming; implementing the national fishery development plans,
providing advisory services to fishermen and the public; ensuring the proper
running of the Hassanal Bolkiah Aquarium, a popular venue for Bruneians to
visit; and finally, implementing the fishing regulations.

     Fishing within Brunei's 320 kilometre fishing limit is confined to local
activity only, although in other areas joint ventures are encouraged.

Forestry

     More than two thirds of Brunei is tropical forest and the Forestry
Department has declared most of this to be reserved land. It controls all
forest reserves and activities and consequently the department is in charge of
logging within both the forest reserves and on Government lands. It controls
both exports and imports of timber and encourages the timber processing
industry to expand into higher value activity, such as more sophisticated
furniture production.

     The Brunei Government is very conscious of the environmental issues
involved in forestry and has developed policies to control erosion and
conserve water catchment areas. The Forestry Department also looks after the
use of the forest for recreational purposes.

Public Works

     The Public Works Department is charged with the planning, design and
implementation of various development and departmental projects, such as
bridges, roads, waterworks and drainage, Government buildings and other
infrastructural projects.

     The Public Works Department also promotes the active participation of
Bumiputra (local) contractors in the implementation of development projects
and keeps a register of consultants and contractors. Construction work is one
of the most important industries in Brunei, ranked second only to the oil and
Lgas industries in its contribution to gross domestic product
(GDP)-construction accounts for more than 5 per cent of GDP.

     One of the most demanding projects undertaken by the Public Works
Department is to ensure that water supply targets are met. Water resources are
difficult to develop, in spite of the high rainfall.

     Brunei has a high consumption, with more than 90 per cent of the
population receiving treated water. The Public Works Department plans to
ensure that all of the country will be covered by proper water and sewerage
systems, and obviously this is problematic in some of the more remote rural
areas.

Electrical Services

     Brunei spent more than B $250 million on improving its electrical supplies
during the fourth National Development Plan between 1980 and 1984. Electrical
consumption is more than 400 million kilowatts a year and there are numerous
generating stations and sub-stations.

     The Electrical Services Department is in charge of providing electricity,
controlling and maintaining the safe use of electricity and registering
electrical contractors. While electrification is virtually complete in Bandar
Seri Begawan, the rural electrification programme is continuing.

     There are some 150 contractors in Brunei registered with the department
and these carry out activities such as wiring cable laying and
air-conditioning.

Town and Country Planning

     Physical planning is a means of controlling and guiding the use of land
and the process of change in the environment. In Brunei Darussalam, where the
pace of development is extremely rapid, this co-ordination is very important.

     Forward planning is organised through plan preparation and development
control. Regional scale and local plans, subject studies and standards have
been prepared to provide a robust context for both Government and private
sector development initiatives. The development control service ensures that
new building fits within the plan framework and meets minimum environmental
standards.

     Site planning is carried out for all significant projects. Site
selection, earthworks and layout design and landscape planning are the major
component parts. Roads, drainage and infrastructure are co-ordinated through
the relevant Government agencies.

     The conservation and protection of the natural environment has become a
growing area of concern for the department. Policies are being developed in
response to both internal needs and international agreements.

Survey

     Brunei's topography and communications problem means that land surveys
are difficult to carry out. However, the Ministry of Development recognises
that effective planning and land utilisation depend on the availability of
good surveys and maps.

     The Survey Department is in charge of carrying out a systematic land
survey of the whole of the country and maintaining professional standards in
surveys. In its wider role it carries out more in-depth surveys such as land
applications, acquisitions, consolidations, sub-divisions and land reserved
for State purposes.

     The Survey Department also produces accurate and up-to-date maps of
various scales for Government, industrial and public use.

Housing Development

     The Government of His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan is committed
to sound housing for all his people and the housing programme is seen as a key
element in promoting the citizens' welfare.

     Between 500 and 600 houses are
built by the department each year under its housing and resettlement
programme. The Government also provides accommodation for many of its civil
servants through its housing projects. In addition to the above programmes,
the Government is also embarking on a Land for the Landless Scheme.

Land

     With a land area of approximately 5,769 square kilometres and a
population of only about 227,000 concentrated in the coastal belt, land use in
Brunei Darussalam