His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, has announced key healthcare policy updates and governance reforms during the opening of the First Meeting of the 21st Session of the Legislative Council (LegCo) for 1446H/2025M.
In a titah, His Majesty highlighted the government’s decision to update the current medical service fee policies. The changes include adjustments to welfare provisions for stateless residents, ensuring that medical benefits are allocated to them as provided to citizens.
To further strengthen governance, His Majesty revealed that LegCo meetings will now be held twice a year, allowing for more timely discussions on national policies and legislative matters. His Majesty also emphasised the need to enhance procedural frameworks in line with the Standing Orders, ensuring that members can carry out their duties more effectively. Additionally, His Majesty called for a review of the code of conduct for LegCo members to uphold professionalism, integrity, and accountability in their legislative roles.
On economic matters, His Majesty acknowledged the positive impact of diversification efforts, with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recording an average annual growth of 4.3 per cent between 2017 and 2023. This growth has been supported by increased exports, including new markets in Chile, Mozambique, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico. The downstream oil and gas sector has also expanded significantly, contributing BND1.241 billion to the national GDP in 2023, up from BND136 million in 2017.
His Majesty further noted that the petrochemical industry has been a key driver of economic expansion, producing petroleum, methanol, and urea.
Meanwhile, the country’s mature market sector also recorded an increase, from BND1.485 billion in 2017 to BND1.721 billion in 2023, with an average annual growth rate of 2.5 per cent. This was driven by business expansion activities and improved market resilience.
The monarch stated that the government will continue developing intermediate petroleum derivatives to strengthen Brunei’s position as a hub for the chemical, manufacturing, and food industries. At the microeconomic level, His Majesty stressed the importance of sustaining business growth and tourism initiatives to support local entrepreneurs.
However, His Majesty reminded against over-reliance on the oil and gas sector, calling for further economic transformation to boost productivity across various industries, including agriculture, logistics, education, healthcare, tourism, security, and public services.
Regarding technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), His Majesty emphasised the need to enhance human capital development and national capabilities to harness new opportunities in the digital era.
Concluding the titah, His Majesty expressed hope that the LegCo session would foster meaningful discussions, strategic decision-making, and collaborative efforts towards achieving Wawasan Brunei 2035. – Fadley Faisal
