Rokiah Mahmud
Through a whole-of-nation, whole-of-government approach, the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) will put in their best effort to secure necessary labour for the agriculture sector so supplies are not disrupted, said Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Apong in his adjournment speech for the 18th Legislative Council (LegCo) session yesterday.
“The world has been facing COVID-19 since early 2020 and certain requirements for farmers have been affected, including obtaining foreign labour as some of the them have decided to return to their home countries,” said the minister.
He said the ministry will try its best to assist farmers to get the necessary labour to ensure production of rice, paddy, vegetables, broilers, beef, fish, prawn and others are not affected.
The ministry will also cooperate with entrepreneurs to improve domestic production to not only meet self-sufficiency targets, but also food processing and export sector demands, adding that there is continued efforts to encourage foreign direct investment (FDI) and government-link companies (GLC) to invest in agricultural and fisheries sectors.
The ministry is also encouraging the adoption of modern technology and techniques and good governance for farmers and entreprenaurs.
Meanwhile, in tourism sector through expansion and strengthening strategies on tourism products, as well as through training activities to improve services quality conducted since the past two year, it hoped that domestic service and tourism providers will readily accept the arrival of foreign tourist when the border re-opens.
Among the main factors being taken into account in the development of tourism products are safety, cleanliness and quality of services.
Tourism Development Department in cooperation with the Religious Teachers University College Seri Begawan (KUPU SB) and the Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) has been applying Islamic values in methods to serve guests in restaurants, hotels, tourism destinations, and government services such as immigration counters, museums and galleries, to make sure that clients are satisfied with services and return to local destinations.
