Answer for Oral Question PL211

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Salleh Bostaman bin Haji Zainal Abidin

YANG BERHORMAT AWANG HAJI SALLEH BOSTAMAN BIN HAJI ZAINAL ABIDIN asked the YANG BERHORMAT MENTERI KEWANGAN II to state the assessment mechanisms and performance indicators used by the Ministry to ensure that it genuinely improves efficiency, fiscal discipline, governance and financial accountability, as compared to ordinary organisational restructuring, given that corporatisation is one of the approaches to public-sector reform.

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Kewangan II

Each corporatisation project under Darussalam Assets Sendirian Berhad is assessed based on several key performance indicators (Key Performance Indicators - KPI). Among others, these include contributions to the Government through corporate tax payments, improvements in operational efficiency and reductions in expenditure burdens on the Government.

It is a pleasure to share several corporatisation achievements attained by the GLCs under the Darussalam Assets Group of Companies, where efficiency improvements have been implemented to benefit the people and consequently reduce Government expenditure, as follows:

Muara Port Company Sdn Bhd ("MPC") has successfully improved the operational efficiency of Muara Port by increasing the volume of conventional cargo handled from an average of 643 thousand metric tonnes in 2016 to an average of 1.2 million metric tonnes in 2025. In addition, the number of shipping destinations also increased from 8 destinations before corporatisation to 12 destinations at present, thereby enhancing the maritime connectivity of Negara Brunei Darussalam. The company has also increased its workforce from 88 to 303 employees, of whom 96% comprise local citizens and residents.

The Ministry of Finance, through MPC, is also actively undertaking the Muara Port Expansion Project, which encompasses the upgrading and expansion of both the container terminal and conventional terminal. The project is expected to be fully completed in August 2027. This project includes increasing the capacity of the container terminal from 220,000 TEUs to 500,000 TEUs.

In addition, the development of a 3.62-hectare Port Trade Zone will facilitate importing, production, repackaging and exporting activities, thereby enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of Muara Port.

For Wasan Milling Company Sdn Bhd ("WMC"), annual rice production increased by 15% from 2,215 metric tonnes in the 2024/2025 financial year to 2,546 metric tonnes in the 2025/2026 financial year. At the same time, corporatisation has reduced the Government's financial burden, as net operating costs previously estimated at approximately BND7.6 million per year have now been replaced by service charge payments amounting to BND1.32 million for the 2025/2026 financial year.

Next, Darussalam Pilotage Services Sdn Bhd has fulfilled all the Service Level Requirements or KPIs set by the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam, including achieving 100% service availability and pilotage and vessel-towing service performance exceeding the set targets.

Meanwhile, Print Plus Sdn Bhd has achieved financial sustainability by recording revenue of BND2.72 million for the 2025/2026 financial year and has begun contributing to Government revenue through the payment of corporate income tax. At the same time, operational efficiency has also improved through a reduction in machine downtime from 17% to 9%, a decrease in the printing wastage rate from 17% to 3%, and an increase in the customer satisfaction score to 94%.