Answers to Written Questions PT7 and PT39

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YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA LAILA SETIA DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ABD. RAHMAN BIN HAJI IBRAHIM AND YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA JOHAN PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ADANAN BIN BEGAWAN PEHIN SIRAJA KHATIB DATO SERI SETIA HAJI MD. YUSOF

QUESTION:

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA LAILA SETIA DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ABD. RAHMAN BIN HAJI IBRAHIM requests the MINISTER AT THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE AND SECOND DEFENSE MINISTER to state the initiatives that have been, are being, and will be implemented to strengthen comprehensive governance. This takes into account governance in the management of government policies as a prerequisite for enhancing the economic ecosystem, focusing on transparency, integrity, and accountability, and acting as a 'check-and-balance,' avoiding 'conflict of interest,' and ensuring decisions are more objective, rational, and impartial.

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA JOHAN PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ADANAN BIN BEGAWAN PEHIN SIRAJA KHATIB DATO SERI SETIA HAJI MD. YUSOF requests the MINISTER AT THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE to state the effectiveness of JPM as the leading and coordinating body in aligning and implementing government policies such as ease of doing business. This aims to ensure the alignment especially to facilitate and expedite all application processes to be more straightforward, effective, and efficient in ensuring the smoothness and success of a policy or plan identified in realizing the whole-of-government approach.

YANG BERHORMAT MINISTER AT THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE

ANSWER:

Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang Di-Pertua

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

1. Kaola seeks permission to consolidate two questions for written answer posed by Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abd. Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim concerning initiatives that have been, are being, and will be implemented to strengthen comprehensive governance, and posed by Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Md. Yusof concerning the effectiveness of JPM as the leading and coordinating body in aligning and implementing government policies.

2. First and foremost, Kaola would like to thank Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abd. Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim and Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Md. Yusof for the questions.

3. The Government continuously and consistently implements various initiatives deemed to aid in strengthening comprehensive governance, emphasizing transparency, integrity, accountability, and alignment.

4. The Prime Minister's Office as the main government agency continues to intensify efforts in strengthening public service governance and coordinating and aligning government policies to ensure that ministry and government department duties are fully supported and implemented under their respective jurisdictions to achieve desired targets. Key ongoing initiatives include:

   i. First, a whole-of-nation approach towards achieving the Brunei Vision 2035. The national vision emphasizes a comprehensive and inclusive approach involving cooperation between the government, private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGO), and the public. This collaboration is crucial to ensuring policies and initiatives reflect the aspirations of citizens and residents in the country and achieve high-priority strategic targets.

   Coordination at the highest level is led by the Brunei Vision 2035 Supreme Council chaired by Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam, and its membership consists of all Cabinet Ministers. It serves as the main whole-of-government platform where the membership of all Cabinet Ministers will combine issues and solutions to any challenges and lead to significant, high-impact transformative changes towards generating the welfare of the people and residents and ensuring the prosperity of the nation is maintained.

   At the ministry and departmental action level, efforts to strengthen the implementation and strategic alignment and action plans leading to the main vision targets are implemented through the Manpower Blueprint for Vision's First Goal led by the Ministry of Education and Manpower and Employment Planning Council (MPTMP); Social Blueprint for Vision's Second Goal led by the Prime Minister's Office and National Council of Social Issues (MKIS); and Economic Blueprint for Vision's Third Goal led by the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

   Strengthened governance that is more efficient is also achieved through Permanent Secretaries Meetings which play a crucial role in ensuring coordination between ministries, policy alignment, closer cooperation, and strategies and government initiatives are aligned with national goals and policies requiring collective decisions and whole-of-government cooperative actions from all ministries to achieve holistic and effective decisions through setting agendas including strategic initiatives linked to Ministry and Departmental Key Performance Indicators, and also the implementation of vision blueprints comprehensively and high priority, and also related to National Achievement Outcomes set under the Brunei Vision 2035 Framework.

   The Prime Minister's Office conducted a survey in January 2025 on all Permanent Secretaries aimed at obtaining feedback, improvement suggestions, and reforms towards enhancing the effectiveness of the Permanent Secretaries Meeting.

   The results of this survey will be used as important input and provide added value to efforts to further strengthen the Permanent Secretaries Meeting in achieving its objectives, in addition to strengthening government governance that generates a more excellent, competitive, and visionary public service, towards fulfilling the needs of the citizens and supporting national development to achieve Brunei Vision 2035.

ii. Secondly, initiatives on a civil service wide scale which are actively implemented as efforts to enhance the Public Service effectiveness and strengthen the governance and public administration.

The establishment of the Public Service Committee (JTPA) is intended as a main platform in leading the direction of the national public sector transformation. JTPA will play a vital role in drafting policies, strategies, and reform initiatives aimed at enhancing public sector excellence. Whole-of-Government (WOGA) and Whole-of-Nation (WONA) approaches are applied to ensure cross-sector policy alignment to support Brunei Vision 2035 and the 21st Century Public Service Vision (WPA21).

To strengthen government policy coordination, JTPA will prioritize pro-business policies, digital governance empowerment, and the integration of the private sector and NGOs as the main agenda in its meetings. Through this approach, JTPA will play a role in evaluating the effectiveness of existing initiatives, identifying implementation gaps, and accelerating public service transformation.

JTPA will also support these efforts by strengthening coordination mechanisms between ministries and agencies, ensuring that introduced policies are consistent, aligned, and in line with national socio-economic development plans.

iii. Thirdly, in ensuring more integrity and professional government governance, the government has emphasized adherence to the Ethics and Code of Work for Public Service of Brunei Darussalam as the main guideline in shaping a work culture that is ethical.

As part of the effort to reinforce integrity, the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) has provided special courses for public service employees to strengthen their understanding of work ethics, effective service delivery, effective communication, and excellent leadership values.

Additionally, adherence to the General Orders (GO) and various other regulations also serve as the foundation for fair and responsible governance, ensuring every decision made is rational, objective, and free from conflicts of interest.

iv. Fourthly, through Circular JPM Number 05/2022, the government has updated the Internal Audit system, including the establishment of the Internal Audit Committee and a centralized Internal Audit Unit. Among the main objectives of this audit implementation are:

• To ensure internal controls and check-and-balance mechanisms exist and are sufficient in all financial management.

• To prevent and control incidents of breach of trust, fraud, abuse of power, and wastage of government resources.

• To strengthen transparency and accountability principles in public administration.

  As an effort to increase accountability in Public Service as well, Circular JPM number 4/2024 concerning the updating of signature authority and general guidelines on contracts for all ministries and departments aimed to increase transparency in signing contracts on behalf of the government.

  With the existence of this mechanism, the state administration system can continue to operate efficiently, cleanly, and reliably, and support the government's objectives that function effectively and responsibly.

v. Fifthly, concerning efforts to ensure high quality of public service delivery, the Prime Minister's Office continuously implements and constantly improves existing initiatives to monitor the efficiency of organizations in its Ministries and Departments such as the Public Sector Performance Rating Program (3PSA), Customer Focus Survey (KSTP), and Monitoring People-Centric Initiatives (TPOR).

Also planned is the introduction of the flagship e-customer care system or e-PP, as a significant digital initiative in service transformation efforts through systematic monitoring and assessment of public service delivery effectiveness. It will function as a platform that facilitates data gathering and analysis on trends related to service delivery which will allow government agencies to enhance service delivery quality towards an outcome-based target level.

The Prime Innovation Award (AIP) is also held annually to award recognition to government agencies that have successfully implemented improvement and reform (innovation) efforts in good governance in the Public Service of Brunei Darussalam. AIP participation focuses on specific areas such as improving public service delivery through technology applications, Innovation, enhancing integrity, transparency, accountability, as well as improving quality of processes in public service contributing to expediting matters related to Ease of Doing Business (EODB).

As also known, the Management Services Department (MSD) has conducted the Public Sector Performance Rating Program (3PSA) Through Star Rating since 2015, which functions as a mechanism to strengthen government agency governance through evaluation of aspects such as Strategic Planning and Reform, Improvement, Human Resource Management, and Customer Care. 3PSA also plays a role in helping align and synchronize Ministry Strategic Plans with Brunei Vision 2035.

5. The government will continue to enhance governance through a structured and comprehensive approach, strengthening policy alignment, empowering integrity, and accelerating public service transformation.

6. Through coordinated efforts between JTPA, JPM, ministries, and all stakeholders, Negara Brunei Darussalam will continue to be on a firm path towards realizing Brunei Vision 2035, towards transparent, efficient, and results-oriented administration for the benefit of the people and the country.