Background
The bilateral relationship between Brunei and Australia can be traced years ago. The first significant interaction between the two nations was done on the World War II. This was achieved through the efforts that Australian made in reference to the Japanese occupation in 1945. Australia was among the top nations that made the first steps to the establishment of diplomatic relations with Brunei upon its achievement or attaining independence from United Kingdom in 1984 (Banks, 2008). The two countries have since then enjoyed mutual and cordial bilateral relationships that encompass diplomatic collaboration, commerce, education, defense, security and law enforcement. However though the two nations continue to enjoy the stipulated bilateral relationships there are more to be done to enhance the benefits that the two nations have. There are vast opportunities that are still unexplored between the two nations. Enhancing an effective and efficient bilateral relationship between Brunei and Australia can yield vast opportunities to the two nation’s economic growth and development. This can boost the two nation’s economic growth but also benefit the locals through employment opportunities and educational opportunities. Brunei is ranked among the riches countries in the world located in northern cost of Borneo, Brunei Darussalam is more than twice in size compared to Australian Capital Territory. According to the IMF report of 2010-11 it was ranked among the wealthiest 25 countries in the world. The fact that though the country has vast natural resources offers great opportunity for Australia. The ranking of the wealthiest countries top list is contributed by the availability of oil in the western-most district discovered in 1929. The country though wealthy still lacks effective and efficient strategic approaches in the nation building (Connolly, 2011). The country’s implementation of vision 2035 proffers the vast need that faces the nation in reference to fill the stipulated goals stated in the vision. These gaps that face this nation include; economic strategy to cope with the high cost of living, job creation to the youths, saturated public service and establish economic satisfaction based on the resource available to the country. Based on the deficit stipulated in this vision, Australia has vast opportunities to help the nation explore and achieve these goals. Reflecting on the cordial and mutual bilateral relationship between the two nations, there is a clear insight on the effectiveness of enhancing the relationship in reference to growth of the two nations. This can be done through developing effective and efficient strategy advocated by this proposal to facilitate attaining the stipulated objectives. This is achieved through a reflection on already grounded and founded relationship between the two nations and proffering strategic approached to boost and enhance the relationship.
Policy Statement
As stipulated earlier the bilateral relationship between Brunei and Australia has been effective since independence. However this relationship has yielded less in reference to the vast opportunities presented by the two nations. Developing a strategic approach to enhance this relationship is required. This is to ensure that the current challenges facing the two nations are eliminated. Brunei benefits in the enhancing of this relationship will greatly boost their chances to achieve their Vision 2035 goals. These will include among other benefits establishing economic developmental long-term plans, curb the rising cost of living, and create job opportunities for their youths plus develop a dominant oil and gas sector. Brunei government and the entire government can achieve this through facilitating the proposed plan. These plans include diversifying on the economic growth to be able to achieve the stipulated goals. Building more regional trade links between the two nations also provides diverse opportunities for Brunei growth and development towards achieving Vision 2035. This will also increase the energy security and environmental stability to the country through fuel. Through their ASEAN meeting in 2013 Brunei aims at advocating for strategic approaches towards achieving energy security and dominance. Australia can facilitate the stipulated strategy through offering security and technological or educational skills to the locals. Developing and enhancing more strategies to increase educational ties, military bond in reference to security and provision of economic growth approaches offer numerous opportunities for Brunei.
The study is aimed at facilitating and offering a clear insight on the strategic approaches that can be enacted to boost and enhance effective and more efficient bilateral relationship between Brunei and Australia. This is to be achieved by through advocating and indicating vast opportunities that can be achieved through efficient and more effective regional trade links developed or enacting new ones. Some of the ministries that policy aims at incorporating or integrating include; Ministry Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Energy. These ministries have direct or indirect involvement towards achieving the stipulated objectives of the study. For instance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is encompassed with ensuring more close ties between the two nations through strategic approaches in reference to the objectives of the study, the Ministry of Education is to offer deep and clear strategies towards sharing educational knowledge and skills through research programs between the two nations towards achieving the proffered objective.
Overview of Policy Content
Developing this policy offers marginal and diverse opportunities to the two nations involved. Through effective and efficient bilateral relationship Brunei has the preceding benefits attached.
- Establishing more effective and efficient regional trade links with the attached benefits guaranteed
- Be able to serve the high number of job-seeking youths
- Cater for the high saturated public service
- Increase the work force percentage in the gas and oil sector from 3 percent to 7 percent
- Develop and maintain economic satisfaction
- Create and maintain energy security
- Increase environmental sustainability to fuel economic growth
- More educational links availed in Australia to effectively compete with UK
The stipulated benefits among others can be achieved through enhanced bilateral relationship between the two countries. Close and enhanced bilateral relationship and ties offers opportunities on both nations. Australia outs to attain the preceding benefits in reference to the close ties.
- Attaining effective and efficient regional trade links where trade will be boosted
- Increased educational opportunities from students emerging from Brunei will boost the economy and skill and knowledge sharing
- Increase and dominate the trading partnership
- Increased defense ties
- Economic growth through offering technical skills through establishing companies in Brunei
- Investment opportunities especially on energy, education, tourism, agriculture and food sectors such as halal market
In reference to the stipulated 3% work force availed in the oil and gas sector, Brunei can increase the percentage through various strategies. This will facilitate and transform Brunei from oil and gas sector dependence to trading and financial hub. Essential factors can be developed to achieve this are;
- Through enhanced bilateral relationship Australia will invest more on other economic sectors such as agriculture and tourism. This will create more employment opportunities for the youth. This can be achieved by integrating the involved ministries from both countries
- Intensive investment on the energy sector will offer higher employment percentage through a deep review on the current strategies and developing contingency plans to boost the outcomes in reference to the stipulated objectives
- More educational links will avail the locals with enterprising knowledge by encouraging investments through loans and incentives to be offered by the government.
- Involve the locals and point out on the anticipated benefits
Deploying the stipulated recommendations in reference stipulated benefits the two nations have mutual benefits availed to them. Australia will not only increase the current partnership relationship on trade with Brunei but avail Brunei with vast opportunities to cater for their developing plans to growth and attaining their long-term Vision 2035 goals.
The requirements procedures and processes that the policy advocates in reference to Brunei government towards achieving the proffered objectives include;
- Review the current economic growth and development plans
- Incorporate all stakeholders in reference to respective sectors or ministries involved
- Develop strategies and outline objectives
- Involve ministries of the two nations on their respective fields in reference to the objectives
- Enact strategies to facilitate the identified and develop a time frame
- Analyze the economy and deploy plans that reflects the outcomes based on the objectives
- Implement and enact control measures to enhance the stipulated objectives in respect to maintain and enhancing bilateral relationship between the two nations.
Reflecting on the visions, missions and foreign polices provided in Brunei Vision 2035 program. The policy provides clear and essential cornerstones towards achievement of the stipulated goals under the program. This will not only increase the chances on attaining the provided goals in the program but also propel the program. For instance in reference to some of the Brunei’s vision goals as stipulated on the program, Nation recognized by accomplishments of its educated and skilled people and Income per capital within top 10 nations of the world plus quality of life among top nations of the world, the policy is developed to facilitate attaining these objectives through development of effective strategies that are in line with the proffered goals. The policy under the study is essential in the attaining Vision 2035 goals and propelling the nations towards sustainable economic growth. For essential to note under this policy, is the fact that the objectives advocated and projected under the study offer long-term economic implications especially in reference to Vision 2035 program. It acts as a propelling force towards attaining these goals.
Impact on the Country
The project offers optimum benefits to the Brunei Government and the entire country. As stipulated earlier the policy is aimed at greatly and positively impacting the country economic growth by increasing GDP, creating employment opportunities, creating a sustainable economic growth and enhancing bilateral relationship between the two nations. The impact that the project is projected to yield in reference to the stipulated economic growth and developments will act as a propelling factor towards achieving the country’s Vision 2035. In reference to enhancing close ties based on defense there will be strategic approaches to ensure transport security, border security, people smuggling and narcotics through regular criminal intelligence schemes between the two countries. Security is essential for economic growth hence the need to intensify and emphasize on developments in relation to that field to enhance success of the entire project. The project will require involvement of the entire stakeholders involved. This should be from the two countries or other interest countries. This is to ensure that the implementation process incorporates interests of each of the presented parties. Some of the resources that the projects aim at utilizing during development and implementation include;
Human skills which entail individuals with adequate skills and knowledge on the entire economic, political and social structures of the two countries will be needed. This can include diplomatic qualified individuals from the two countries. This is to ensure that the project is handled by individuals how have competence and full knowledge on the governing structures of the two nations.
Financial support is essential for the development and success of this project. This can incorporate fund from the two governments where the respective ministries (Finance) will be consulted in reference to the issue. The source of fund can be through budgetary allocation where a certain percentage will be set. This can be designed after analysing the current markets under which the project will be set. The government can set around 20% of the budget allocation to fund the project. There will be set committee that ensures that the fund is appropriately used with transparency and accountability being the major values.
Cases under which the project will require land or other physical properties, the government will be consulted especially in cases of investments to ensure that the required protocols are followed. This should involve the locals under which the project is to be set.
Technological upgrades will be made in reference to tenders specifications and the investments companies given the task to oversee development.
Ensuring that the cultural and ethical issues of the two countries are upheld is also essential. This is to ensure that there are no violations on the set regulations and laws.
As stipulated earlier the preceding stakeholders will be involved in the project; Ministry Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Energy. Through the Policy Control Office consultations will be done to the Prime Minister’s Office. This is to ensure that the project receives the optimum attention from every stakeholder.
After analysing the current or existing systems changes will be done in reference to the outcomes. This is to ensure that the implementation process of the project is within systems that are adoptable. This will largely determine the success of the projects. Systems that do not fall within the specifications of the project can be mended to fall within the requirements.
The implementation of the project can be done in phases within one to two years with four phases. The first phase is to review the current systems, with recommendations made, consulting the two governments with consolations specifically done on the involved ministries. The second phase is to analyze the market and make projects on returns on investments. The third phase is the implementation phase where the project is implemented and controlled. The fourth and the last phase involve developing regulatory and evaluation strategies backed up with contingency plans.
References
Annual Report 2012, High Commission of Brunei in Australia Extraction
Australian Government 2009, National Aviation White Paper 2009, Department of
Infrastructure and Transport, Canberra, www.infrastructure.gov.au.
ABARES (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences) 2011,
Agricultural commodity statistics 2011, December, Canberra.
Banks G 2008, Industry policy for a productive Australia, Colin Clark Memorial Lecture,
Brisbane, 6 August, Productivity Commission, Melbourne, www.pc.gov.au.
Australian Government 2011, Australian in the Asian Century
Australian in the Asian Century White paper 2012
Brunei Darussalam Government Gazette 2007
Vision of Brunei 2035
Brunei Defense White paper 2011, Defending the Nations Sovereignty Expanding Roles in Wider Horizons
Connolly E & Orsmond D 2011, The mining industry: from bust to boom, research discussion
paper, Reserve Bank of Australia, www.rba.gov.au.
