In response to an Opinion letter by Fairness For All on ‘Why Limit Manpower Agency Registrations’ published on October 19, 2024, the Department of Labour under the Ministry of Home Affairs as a government agency in regulating the activities of employment agencies in Brunei Darussalam in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Agencies Order, 2004, section 6(1), of the Order stipulates that any individual operating an employment agency must possess a license issued by the Commissioner of Labour.
Applications for employment agency licenses are open to the public, subject to the opening for applications. Announcements for such openings are typically made via press release on television news, radio, the Department of Labour’s website, and Instagram.
The approval process for granting employment agency licenses is stringent and carefully controlled, as it involves human transactions and international matters.
Applicants are evaluated based on the required conditions and criteria, not only in terms of the company’s ability to sustain its business and its contribution to the economy, but also in other aspects such as the safety, welfare, and well-being of workers.
The number of employment agency licenses is controlled, by taking into account the exposure to risks and issues such as human trafficking and the violation of workers’ rights who are supplied to the country. This is also to ensure that the recruitment of foreign workers into the country is conducted responsibly and ethically, in accordance with the Employment Agencies Order, 2004, and in compliance with international standards, particularly The Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No 181) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which emphasises the following:
– Establishes a comprehensive framework for the registration, licensing, and effective regulation of private employment agencies, as well as the protection of workers who use their services.
– Requires ratifying member states to take measures to protect national and migrant workers from abuses and to protect legitimate agencies from unfair competition by rogue operators.
The Department of Labour acknowledges the suggestions and recommendations made by the writer to further improve the services provided by this department in relation to the public.
For further inquiries, the public may contact the Employment Agencies Division, Department of Labour, at 2380256 ext 1074, or via email at agensi.pekerjaan@buruh.gov.bn.
Department of Labour,
Ministry of Home Affairs
