Answer for Oral Question PL125

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📖 Reading time: 5 minutes
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YANG BERHORMAT PENGIRAN HAJI ISA BIN PENGIRAN HAJI ALIUDDIN

QUESTION:

YANG BERHORMAT PENGIRAN HAJI ISA BIN PENGIRAN HAJI ALIUDDIN asks the MINISTER OF PRIMARY RESOURCES AND TOURISM to state whether the Ministry has plans to establish different conditions suitable for compliance standards for small and medium enterprises in the agriculture and livestock sectors in terms of safety, health, and environment compared to the existing regulations and compliance requirements.

YANG BERHORMAT MINISTER OF PRIMARY RESOURCES AND TOURISM

ANSWER:

The Ministry acknowledges that some requirements to meet HSE standards require high financial allocation. This can impose a heavy burden on MSMEs operating in the agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and tourism sectors.

The Ministry has conducted several consultations with agencies responsible for regulating agricultural advancement standards, including the Department of Town and Country Planning (TCP), the Authority for Building Control and Construction Industry (ABCi), the Fire & Rescue Services Department, the Department of Electrical Services (DES), the Department of Water Services (DWS), and the Safety, Health and Environment National Authority (SHENA). The purpose of these consultations is to implement initiatives to facilitate and support MSME entrepreneurs in efforts to reduce start-up costs for farm operations, in line with compliance with the standards set by these agencies.

So far, several special provisions for MSMEs have been obtained as a result of these consultations, such as:

1. exemption from Planning Permission from TCP to commence construction of nurseries, greenhouses, and pre-approved standard designs for worker quarters, pump houses, farm offices, and stores;

2. exemption from ABCi regarding Building Approval; Development Fees for building plans (standard design); Form C – Permit to Carry Out Building Works; and application for Occupation Permit (OP) specifically for the construction of nurseries, greenhouses, and pre-approved standard designs for worker quarters, pump houses, farm offices, and stores;

3. exemption from DES and DWS for the requirement of Occupation Permit (OP) for utility installations;

4. exemption from SHENA for MSME companies (less than 100 employees) in appointing Workplace Safety and Health Officers for compliance with regulations and provisions under the Workplace Safety and Health Order 2014.

In addition, for the fisheries industry, the Ministry has also held consultations with the Department of Environment and Recreation Parks (JASTRe) on the following matters:

1. Proposal for the standard scope of work in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for aquaculture activities by setting thresholds based on the area to be offered and subject to the type of area for conducting the aquaculture activities; and

2. Exemption for new sites in coastal and offshore areas from conducting Environmental Baseline Study (EBS) and EIA, considering that the Department of Fisheries also conducts EBS and EIA through feasibility study projects to open new sites for fish farming operations later. However, the entrepreneurs offered these sites must still submit Written Notification along with Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) reports to JASTRe for further monitoring.

However, in terms of farm and fishery biosecurity standards and requirements, these standards aim to ensure that agricultural and fishery activities produce quality and safe outputs. Non-compliance with these biosecurity requirements can affect farm productivity, cause disease spread, and compromise food safety. Therefore, farm biosecurity standards and requirements must be strictly adhered to by all companies, including MSMEs.

For the forestry industry, the Forestry Department is currently drafting HSE guidelines to facilitate compliance by the wood industry companies without neglecting safety and environmental sustainability aspects. The Forestry Department also involves companies in drafting the guidelines to ensure they can be well accepted and practiced by all stakeholders. The draft will be submitted to SHENA for further consideration to align with the existing compliance requirements.

In the tourism industry, towards the initiative to introduce and register Homestays, usually operated by MSME entrepreneurs, in the near future as a step to expand more authentic and attractive accommodation options for tourism, the Ministry is continuously holding discussions with the Ministry of Development (MOD), the Department of Town and Country Planning (TCP), and ABCi. These discussions aim to ensure Homestays in the country meet the standards set by these agencies and also to align the standard requirements to be more flexible and suitable with the development of the tourism industry. Among the main issues discussed are as follows:

1. compliance concerning building structures built and operated for years before the current standards were introduced;
2. the requirement for compliance with HSE conditions by ABCi;
3. the requirement to appoint a Qualified Person (QP) by ABCi;
4. TCP requirements for land use for business or residential; and
5. coordinate with the MOD to obtain permission for sites carrying out tourism services, for example, permission has been granted to EcoPonies, Alai Gayoh (HAGAP), and Taman Tanjong Bukit Mambangan which are gazetted under the Tutong District Office.

By complying with the safety requirements explained above, it will create a safer environment and increase tourist confidence, attracting more tourists to the country. As a step forward, the Ministry will hold further consultations with the following agencies to jointly strategize to reduce the cost burden faced by MSMEs in the agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism sectors, while ensuring that the prescribed HSE requirements can be met:

1. Authority for Building Control and Construction Industry (ABCi);
2. Safety, Health and Environment National Authority (SHENA);
3. Department of Environment and Recreation Parks (JASTRe);
4. Department of Labour;
5. Department of Electrical Services;
6. Department of Water Services; and
7. Fire and Rescue Department.