Brunei Darussalam

Starting in July, Brunei Darussalam’s Ministry of Education (MoE) will begin implementing a series of broad-ranging reforms to the technical vocational education and training (TVET) system to align training programmes more with the needs of the economy.

A drive is gathering pace in Brunei Darussalam to increase regional cooperation on energy provision as part of a broader bid by Asia’s oil producers to meet rising demand from nearby fast-growing economies.

With solar and biowaste power plants already under development, Brunei Darussalam has demonstrated its willingness to meet the renewable energy goals set by the ASEAN community. A recent agreement with the US could provide an extra boost to these efforts and encourage investors.

A drive to improve food security under way in Brunei Darussalam will see the government release land for livestock production, develop irrigation systems and step up cooperation with other countries. The move forms part of a broader bid to galvanise the agriculture sector into helping the Sultanate achieve food self-sufficiency in the longer term.

Having begun to roll out a tourism master plan that puts the spotlight on natural and cultural assets, Brunei Darussalam is targeting an 8% increase in visitor numbers this year.

While growth in Brunei Darussalam’s economy has slowed in recent years, a rising contribution from the non-oil and gas sectors, particularly agriculture, indicates that efforts to accelerate diversification are producing results.