Wishing You All a Happy New Year!
Thank you for reading and visiting this blogsite.
Here are some pics from our recent NY trip which was FANTASTIC!
Salaam.
Monday 31 December 2007
Saturday 22 December 2007
Should the Government Pay People to Lose Weight?
Interesting question ya? I’m sure many of you would say ‘No Way! Why should the government spend money to get people to slim down. Well, I ask ‘Why shouldn’t we?’
First of all, we economists believe in incentives. Many studies find that financial incentives, when they are directly linked to the achievement of goals, can be remarkably effective in getting people to change their behaviour. Now, consider these (scary) facts and figures from the Health Minister:
- 1 in 3 of our youth is overweight;
- Twelve per cent of the population in Brunei suffer from diabetes equivalent to 45,000;
- Nearly 50 per cent of patients who undergo dialysis are diabetics;
- The cost of haemodialysis per patient per year is around B$20,000;
- The cost of peritoneal dialysis per patient per year is around B$37,000;
- Forty-four limb amputations performed from Nov 2006 to Oct 2007.
All of the above are costs to the government. Not only do they burn a big hole in the government’s coffer, a nation with an obese population is not exactly the right ingredient to a healthy and productive country.
Now, the incentives must be designed cost-effectively i.e. you only pay people when they reach their target weight. The pay doesn’t even have to be massive. The way I see it, the government spend a little in order to save a lot (in the long run). Of course many will criticize that once the money runs out (or once people reach their target) then they may relapse. Yes, maybe for some people. But I am also sure that for some other, they would definitely want to maintain their slim figure. It’s a simple win-win situation.
Anyway, I’m off to the City that Never Sleeps tomorrow for our annual family vacation (Can’t Wait. Am Soooooo Excited). I guess I will see you when I return :)
NEW YORK CITY, Here We Come……………..!
Salaam.
First of all, we economists believe in incentives. Many studies find that financial incentives, when they are directly linked to the achievement of goals, can be remarkably effective in getting people to change their behaviour. Now, consider these (scary) facts and figures from the Health Minister:
- 1 in 3 of our youth is overweight;
- Twelve per cent of the population in Brunei suffer from diabetes equivalent to 45,000;
- Nearly 50 per cent of patients who undergo dialysis are diabetics;
- The cost of haemodialysis per patient per year is around B$20,000;
- The cost of peritoneal dialysis per patient per year is around B$37,000;
- Forty-four limb amputations performed from Nov 2006 to Oct 2007.
All of the above are costs to the government. Not only do they burn a big hole in the government’s coffer, a nation with an obese population is not exactly the right ingredient to a healthy and productive country.
Now, the incentives must be designed cost-effectively i.e. you only pay people when they reach their target weight. The pay doesn’t even have to be massive. The way I see it, the government spend a little in order to save a lot (in the long run). Of course many will criticize that once the money runs out (or once people reach their target) then they may relapse. Yes, maybe for some people. But I am also sure that for some other, they would definitely want to maintain their slim figure. It’s a simple win-win situation.
Anyway, I’m off to the City that Never Sleeps tomorrow for our annual family vacation (Can’t Wait. Am Soooooo Excited). I guess I will see you when I return :)
NEW YORK CITY, Here We Come……………..!
Salaam.
Wednesday 19 December 2007
How Safe Are the Toys?
Last night, my husband and I were watching a documentary from Channel 4 (UK) about the safety of our toys. It really opened our eyes and as a mom to 2 children, I would also like to caution all parents.
From Channel 4's investigation, it was revealed that about 50% of the available toys were (still are) not safe which could cause choking, strangulation and poisoning. Among the worst toys are those containing magnets. Apparently, there have been hundreds of cases all over the world where small children have swallowed magnets. If a child swallows two or more magnets and that they are in different parts of the gut, they will attract each other through the gut wall, pinning different areas of intestine to each other, and rupturing the bowel. One British surgeon says that injuries are similar to: 'gunshot wounds.' One child in the US actually died of this.
And then there are dodgy and counterfeit toys from China which have never been tested. Not only they may contain various types of dangerous chemicals which are harmful to children (e.g. high content of lead), their physical parts may also pose different kinds of threats (e.g. falling parts, sharp hidden edges etc.).
Now, I know many parents wouldn't want to spend a fortune buying toys and sometimes opt to buy those cheap and dodgy toys (especially those from the $1 shop) , well after watching that documentary, my advise is that if we can't afford buying good toys then don't buy any.
But then, it's not only those dodgy toys which are harmful. It was also revealed that many top-selling toys were also as dangerous. The magnetic toys for example were from Mattel (Barbie toys, Polly Pockets etc.) and from the brand Magnetic. Many famous boys' toys for example also contain a lot of hidden sharp edges (sorry I don't know what brand :). Some science toys like expandable dinosours are also harmful.
Anyway, my thoughts are that if England and the US, whose trading and safety standards are among the highest in the world, are not able to remove these toys from the shelves, then what about us in Brunei? I think the only way to avoid any serious injuries to our children is through knowledgable parents. And that's why I feel the need to write this post today.
Ps. Buy Books instead of Toys!
From Channel 4's investigation, it was revealed that about 50% of the available toys were (still are) not safe which could cause choking, strangulation and poisoning. Among the worst toys are those containing magnets. Apparently, there have been hundreds of cases all over the world where small children have swallowed magnets. If a child swallows two or more magnets and that they are in different parts of the gut, they will attract each other through the gut wall, pinning different areas of intestine to each other, and rupturing the bowel. One British surgeon says that injuries are similar to: 'gunshot wounds.' One child in the US actually died of this.
And then there are dodgy and counterfeit toys from China which have never been tested. Not only they may contain various types of dangerous chemicals which are harmful to children (e.g. high content of lead), their physical parts may also pose different kinds of threats (e.g. falling parts, sharp hidden edges etc.).
Now, I know many parents wouldn't want to spend a fortune buying toys and sometimes opt to buy those cheap and dodgy toys (especially those from the $1 shop) , well after watching that documentary, my advise is that if we can't afford buying good toys then don't buy any.
But then, it's not only those dodgy toys which are harmful. It was also revealed that many top-selling toys were also as dangerous. The magnetic toys for example were from Mattel (Barbie toys, Polly Pockets etc.) and from the brand Magnetic. Many famous boys' toys for example also contain a lot of hidden sharp edges (sorry I don't know what brand :). Some science toys like expandable dinosours are also harmful.
Anyway, my thoughts are that if England and the US, whose trading and safety standards are among the highest in the world, are not able to remove these toys from the shelves, then what about us in Brunei? I think the only way to avoid any serious injuries to our children is through knowledgable parents. And that's why I feel the need to write this post today.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha.
Salaam.
Ps. Buy Books instead of Toys!
Tuesday 18 December 2007
Paradox of Plenty: Are We Cursed?
A few days ago BB reported the findings of the Asian Development Bank's International Comparison Study (click here for the ADB report) and that Brunei was the richest in the region with a GDP Per Capita income of about US$34,600.
Translation: It is the amount that every person who lives in Brunei (those who make up the population) would receive yearly from the income generated through productive activities. Well, now you know what it means, please don't go march to the Ministry of Finance and demand that money! In reality, as we all know some earn more and some earn less. And of course, if the government were to spend all the money on its people then what future would lie for us? Basically Per Capita income is used as a measure of wealth i.e. the higher, the wealthier.
Now, back to the ADB's report. Should we celebrate being the richest?
Look around us, we have unemployment, people rely on government employment, the private sector is weak and the economy is far from being diversified. These, ladies and gentlemen, are the traits of a country 'cursed' with natural resources. The economic term for it is the resource curse thesis (Richard Auty, 1993) which describes how a country cannot use its wealth to boost its economy. What happens is that because the income from oil and gas (the natural resources) is so high, the economy revolves around it. The government who is the recepient of the oil income, for example, pays higher salaries then other (private) industries. As a result, everyone wants to work with the government. Another example is tax. Because Brunei is so rich, the government doesn't want/need to burden its people and as a result we may be deprived of more efficient public services.
Another negative effect of having an abundant natural resource, particularly the richly oil, is rentierism. A rentier state is a country which derives a large portion of its national revenue from a natural resource. The characteristics of a rentier state which are not favourable to the economic development, among others are limited linkages between the oil sector and the rest of economy, high dependence on import of goods, lack of economic diversification, a large import of foreign labours manning basic services and many others (which are quite sensitive but very interesting!).
Perhaps, the most negative effect of being a rentier state is the creation of a 'rentier mentality' in which rewards of income or wealth do not come from work, but come as a result of chance (Beblawi, 1990).
Anyway, to me these are all very interesting. I sincerely hope that somebody would do some research on how badly 'cursed' are we? Or should we really blame the natural resources? And what should we do to right the wrongs? And many other questions.
Oh, well it's almost midnight and my back hurts. Till then.
Salaam.
Translation: It is the amount that every person who lives in Brunei (those who make up the population) would receive yearly from the income generated through productive activities. Well, now you know what it means, please don't go march to the Ministry of Finance and demand that money! In reality, as we all know some earn more and some earn less. And of course, if the government were to spend all the money on its people then what future would lie for us? Basically Per Capita income is used as a measure of wealth i.e. the higher, the wealthier.
Now, back to the ADB's report. Should we celebrate being the richest?
Look around us, we have unemployment, people rely on government employment, the private sector is weak and the economy is far from being diversified. These, ladies and gentlemen, are the traits of a country 'cursed' with natural resources. The economic term for it is the resource curse thesis (Richard Auty, 1993) which describes how a country cannot use its wealth to boost its economy. What happens is that because the income from oil and gas (the natural resources) is so high, the economy revolves around it. The government who is the recepient of the oil income, for example, pays higher salaries then other (private) industries. As a result, everyone wants to work with the government. Another example is tax. Because Brunei is so rich, the government doesn't want/need to burden its people and as a result we may be deprived of more efficient public services.
Another negative effect of having an abundant natural resource, particularly the richly oil, is rentierism. A rentier state is a country which derives a large portion of its national revenue from a natural resource. The characteristics of a rentier state which are not favourable to the economic development, among others are limited linkages between the oil sector and the rest of economy, high dependence on import of goods, lack of economic diversification, a large import of foreign labours manning basic services and many others (which are quite sensitive but very interesting!).
Perhaps, the most negative effect of being a rentier state is the creation of a 'rentier mentality' in which rewards of income or wealth do not come from work, but come as a result of chance (Beblawi, 1990).
Anyway, to me these are all very interesting. I sincerely hope that somebody would do some research on how badly 'cursed' are we? Or should we really blame the natural resources? And what should we do to right the wrongs? And many other questions.
Oh, well it's almost midnight and my back hurts. Till then.
Salaam.
Tuesday 11 December 2007
Hands Up If You Love Reading Books!
I love books. And I love to read them. My love affair with books started the moment I learnt how to read. I guess, I was 6 or 7 (I know! In those days we only started going to school at the age of 6! Darjah 0 hehe) and I used to ask my dad to send me to the library in Bandar. While other kids went to the library to play, I went there to read. I would borrow some of the kids’ library cards, so that I could borrow lots of books. Sometimes I would take home about 8 books at one time.
Now, I still love reading. I could go mental if I don’t read anything in one day. I have to read before I go to sleep. I read almost anything. I’m also grateful that my 2 girls also love books. My eldest, who is 5, now can read and she loves it. Everytime we bring our kids to the town centre, they would always insist to go to the library or a bookshop. We're also lucky that here in the UK, books are cheap especially if you buy online. Children books are cheap too. Plus there are heaps of charity shops which sell second-hand books. My favourites are the Oxfam bookshop and the Children Society. I can get ‘almost new’ books at only about a quid each ($3). So if you ask me, I’m in heaven!
Unfortunately, reading is not loved by all. And especially in Brunei, reading is still far from being a culture. Unlike in UK, Japan or Singapore, you see people read everywhere. In the bus, in the tube, in the train, in the cafes, old and young. It is a culture. These are all developed countries. There may not be a correlation or causality between the two but I can’t help but wonder. It is possible that a developed country makes reading its culture. Or it could also be that ‘reading’ makes a country to be developed. It makes sense to me. With books, comes knowledge. With knowledge, comes power. Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.
I remember when I was back in Brunei a few years ago. I was about to enter a bookshop. Then came this lady with her little boy. The boy asked her mom to go to the bookshop. He said he wanted to buy a book. And you know what the mom said? Nothing interesting in there! We’d just be wasting our time! At that moment, I felt so sad. I actually wanted to approach them and offered to buy the boy a book.
Anyway, you can’t force people to change their habits. Moreover, books are also expensive in Brunei. Books are wrapped in plastics. The bookshops sometimes put off even people like me. But then again, who would want to invest in an expensive bookstore (or an international book franchise) if the people don’t read? The bookshops are after all ‘shops’ and selling books are businesses to make profit.
Nevertheless, I strongly think reading should be encouraged especially to our children. I don’t have to list down the benefits. I even think that it is not over-rated if 'forming a reading culture' to be made as one of the national development objectives (or perhaps the national objective is to build a knowledgeable nation, and 'reading as a culture' becomes one of the main strategies). It could well be one of the remedies to the aggravating social illnesses.
However, if Brunei wants to make reading as a culture, serious steps have to be taken. Having a book fair once a year is NOT enough. Even in the UK, they have a literacy campaign. There is a ‘one book one child’ scheme or something. A few months ago, my children were sent a free story book each. They do this once a year. The local council on the other hand promotes the local libraries. They send leaflets with information about libraries. They even conduct sessions for adults who are not confident or do not know how to read to children. Now, this is what I call serious.
A Home Without Books is a Body Without Soul
Now, I still love reading. I could go mental if I don’t read anything in one day. I have to read before I go to sleep. I read almost anything. I’m also grateful that my 2 girls also love books. My eldest, who is 5, now can read and she loves it. Everytime we bring our kids to the town centre, they would always insist to go to the library or a bookshop. We're also lucky that here in the UK, books are cheap especially if you buy online. Children books are cheap too. Plus there are heaps of charity shops which sell second-hand books. My favourites are the Oxfam bookshop and the Children Society. I can get ‘almost new’ books at only about a quid each ($3). So if you ask me, I’m in heaven!
Unfortunately, reading is not loved by all. And especially in Brunei, reading is still far from being a culture. Unlike in UK, Japan or Singapore, you see people read everywhere. In the bus, in the tube, in the train, in the cafes, old and young. It is a culture. These are all developed countries. There may not be a correlation or causality between the two but I can’t help but wonder. It is possible that a developed country makes reading its culture. Or it could also be that ‘reading’ makes a country to be developed. It makes sense to me. With books, comes knowledge. With knowledge, comes power. Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.
I remember when I was back in Brunei a few years ago. I was about to enter a bookshop. Then came this lady with her little boy. The boy asked her mom to go to the bookshop. He said he wanted to buy a book. And you know what the mom said? Nothing interesting in there! We’d just be wasting our time! At that moment, I felt so sad. I actually wanted to approach them and offered to buy the boy a book.
Anyway, you can’t force people to change their habits. Moreover, books are also expensive in Brunei. Books are wrapped in plastics. The bookshops sometimes put off even people like me. But then again, who would want to invest in an expensive bookstore (or an international book franchise) if the people don’t read? The bookshops are after all ‘shops’ and selling books are businesses to make profit.
Nevertheless, I strongly think reading should be encouraged especially to our children. I don’t have to list down the benefits. I even think that it is not over-rated if 'forming a reading culture' to be made as one of the national development objectives (or perhaps the national objective is to build a knowledgeable nation, and 'reading as a culture' becomes one of the main strategies). It could well be one of the remedies to the aggravating social illnesses.
However, if Brunei wants to make reading as a culture, serious steps have to be taken. Having a book fair once a year is NOT enough. Even in the UK, they have a literacy campaign. There is a ‘one book one child’ scheme or something. A few months ago, my children were sent a free story book each. They do this once a year. The local council on the other hand promotes the local libraries. They send leaflets with information about libraries. They even conduct sessions for adults who are not confident or do not know how to read to children. Now, this is what I call serious.
Now, what about our national library? It's been ages I haven't been there. Needless to say, the library doesn't look inviting. Seriously, I think we should have a bigger, fantastic looking national library. A library, is afterall the soul of a country.
Anyway, enough of my rambling today. In case you haven’t notice I’ve put up a couple of Amazon banners in this blog site. Well, the purpose is not to gain any extra income but to encourage you people to read. You can find lots of bargain especially from the Amazon US. Now that the US dollar is down, I think it’s worth buying some.
Oh well, probably I would open my own bookshop one day.
Salaam.
Anyway, enough of my rambling today. In case you haven’t notice I’ve put up a couple of Amazon banners in this blog site. Well, the purpose is not to gain any extra income but to encourage you people to read. You can find lots of bargain especially from the Amazon US. Now that the US dollar is down, I think it’s worth buying some.
Oh well, probably I would open my own bookshop one day.
Salaam.
A Home Without Books is a Body Without Soul
The Road to 'DR'hood
AAAaaaaaaaarrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh!
WHY oh WHY DID I DO THIS?
Nevertheless, it has been an enriching experience.
5 DOWN, 2 TO GO! Yeay!
Thursday 6 December 2007
Doing Business in Brunei 2008
I actually shouldn't be posting anything until next week (as a chapter is due on Wednesday, the latest) but while browsing the internet I stumbled on the World Bank Group Doing Business Project's report on Doing Business in Brunei 2008 (Pdf file). In case I forget, I think I better post it now.
I read about this in the BB a few months ago and actually wanted to blog about it but well...other important things came up.. perhaps another time.
I haven't been able to digest what's in the report but I can see some interesting findings. My only comment for now is that Brunei is a small developing country. It is not quite fair to compare ourselves with the likes of developed countries. But it should also cannot be the reason why we shouldn't change, afterall those developed countries were not developed by chance. They also started from a humble beginning.
Enjoy reading! I'm sure it will be useful to researchers, policy-makers, students and all Bruneians in general (unless of course you don't care hehe). Oh, don't forget to save it in case it's removed.
Salaam.
I read about this in the BB a few months ago and actually wanted to blog about it but well...other important things came up.. perhaps another time.
I haven't been able to digest what's in the report but I can see some interesting findings. My only comment for now is that Brunei is a small developing country. It is not quite fair to compare ourselves with the likes of developed countries. But it should also cannot be the reason why we shouldn't change, afterall those developed countries were not developed by chance. They also started from a humble beginning.
Enjoy reading! I'm sure it will be useful to researchers, policy-makers, students and all Bruneians in general (unless of course you don't care hehe). Oh, don't forget to save it in case it's removed.
Salaam.
Saturday 1 December 2007
Consumer Power
In my previous post, I wrote about how prices are affected by forces which are beyond our control i.e. globalization, world demand and supply etc.
Well actually, I believe that consumer power should also play an important role.
I’ve often been asked (actually my husband always nags me with this question) as to why the prices of goods in Brunei are expensive as compared to Malaysia and Singapore, when we don’t have taxes and hardly any import duty. Well, the lazy answer to this question is simply that the cost of transportation is high. But if we think carefully, I have a strong believe that the consumer power in Brunei is not high enough to force the prices down.
I remember a few years ago, my husband and I wanted to buy a fridge/freezer. So, out we went surveying shops in various places in Brunei to find the cheapest price of the model that we wanted. In one of the shops, we met a relative. When we told him that we were looking for the cheapest fridge, he replied that we were wasting our time and fuel. The amount we spent on fuel would probably be the same with the amount that we saved of buying the cheaper fridge. So, why bother looking for a cheaper one?
Well, partly I agree with him as he is of course, being rational. BUT, by doing what we did, I believe we were doing a greater good. Why? You see, just imagine if everyone was doing what we were doing i.e. buy the cheapest, and the sellers knew that everyone would only buy the most competitive price. The effect would be that all sellers will eventually have to reduce their prices or become more competitive with each other (maybe by offering extra services etc). Now, that is consumer power.
It is also however unfortunate that the consumers in Brunei have no formal institution that looks after the consumers’ rights. I don’t know if anyone knows what exactly our rights are as consumers. Let’s say if you buy something from a shop, and the good is faulty, is it our right to return it? Usually, it is up to the grace of the shop-keepers to exchange it or refund your money. Either that or you fight your way out (haha). Now, what if you just change your mind? You haven’t used it, it’s still wrapped and when you go back home, you think you just don’t need it. How? Has anyone actually tried returning a good just because a change of mind? What about dishonest sellers? Who do we complain to? As a result, the sellers have all the power to put whatever price that could give them the maximum profit possible.
In fact, I remember reading a local blog which gave the evidence that the recent Brunei Grand Sales (BGS) had defeated its purpose. Many sellers were duping the customers. The prices were never reduced. This blogger showed the price of the item he bought was exactly the same before and after the so called BGS. What the seller did was raising the original price during the event so that at the end of the day, buyer would still pay the same price despite the ‘discount’ given. I guess the blogger (as a consumer) knew that he didn’t have the kind of power that could change anything or perhaps he didn't even know where to go to lodge his complain, just left it as it was.
In other countries, well in UK for example, there are a number of agencies who look after the consumers’ rights. One of the biggest agencies is the Trading Standard Institute. I’m not sure but I think it’s a government run body. It is like a one-stop centre for customer protection in the UK. In it, you find all kinds of information, ranging from the listing of related laws to the listing of product recalls. As a result, all sellers compete healthily and all consumers are treated as kings.
Yes, one might argue that we do have a number of laws that protect the customers such as the Sales of Good Act and the Contract Act. My questions are does everyone know that they exist and what about the contents? Do they protect the consumers or the sellers? In the event that I think I’m being cheated, can I simply go to the court of justice and demand my right?
Well, enough thought for today. Anyway, I would like to say that despite the lack of content and proper research, I applaud what the RTB was doing with their weekly consumer slot (do they still air it?). I’m just sad that the agency which I thought should be responsible is not doing anything about it.
Salaam
Well actually, I believe that consumer power should also play an important role.
I’ve often been asked (actually my husband always nags me with this question) as to why the prices of goods in Brunei are expensive as compared to Malaysia and Singapore, when we don’t have taxes and hardly any import duty. Well, the lazy answer to this question is simply that the cost of transportation is high. But if we think carefully, I have a strong believe that the consumer power in Brunei is not high enough to force the prices down.
I remember a few years ago, my husband and I wanted to buy a fridge/freezer. So, out we went surveying shops in various places in Brunei to find the cheapest price of the model that we wanted. In one of the shops, we met a relative. When we told him that we were looking for the cheapest fridge, he replied that we were wasting our time and fuel. The amount we spent on fuel would probably be the same with the amount that we saved of buying the cheaper fridge. So, why bother looking for a cheaper one?
Well, partly I agree with him as he is of course, being rational. BUT, by doing what we did, I believe we were doing a greater good. Why? You see, just imagine if everyone was doing what we were doing i.e. buy the cheapest, and the sellers knew that everyone would only buy the most competitive price. The effect would be that all sellers will eventually have to reduce their prices or become more competitive with each other (maybe by offering extra services etc). Now, that is consumer power.
It is also however unfortunate that the consumers in Brunei have no formal institution that looks after the consumers’ rights. I don’t know if anyone knows what exactly our rights are as consumers. Let’s say if you buy something from a shop, and the good is faulty, is it our right to return it? Usually, it is up to the grace of the shop-keepers to exchange it or refund your money. Either that or you fight your way out (haha). Now, what if you just change your mind? You haven’t used it, it’s still wrapped and when you go back home, you think you just don’t need it. How? Has anyone actually tried returning a good just because a change of mind? What about dishonest sellers? Who do we complain to? As a result, the sellers have all the power to put whatever price that could give them the maximum profit possible.
In fact, I remember reading a local blog which gave the evidence that the recent Brunei Grand Sales (BGS) had defeated its purpose. Many sellers were duping the customers. The prices were never reduced. This blogger showed the price of the item he bought was exactly the same before and after the so called BGS. What the seller did was raising the original price during the event so that at the end of the day, buyer would still pay the same price despite the ‘discount’ given. I guess the blogger (as a consumer) knew that he didn’t have the kind of power that could change anything or perhaps he didn't even know where to go to lodge his complain, just left it as it was.
In other countries, well in UK for example, there are a number of agencies who look after the consumers’ rights. One of the biggest agencies is the Trading Standard Institute. I’m not sure but I think it’s a government run body. It is like a one-stop centre for customer protection in the UK. In it, you find all kinds of information, ranging from the listing of related laws to the listing of product recalls. As a result, all sellers compete healthily and all consumers are treated as kings.
Yes, one might argue that we do have a number of laws that protect the customers such as the Sales of Good Act and the Contract Act. My questions are does everyone know that they exist and what about the contents? Do they protect the consumers or the sellers? In the event that I think I’m being cheated, can I simply go to the court of justice and demand my right?
Well, enough thought for today. Anyway, I would like to say that despite the lack of content and proper research, I applaud what the RTB was doing with their weekly consumer slot (do they still air it?). I’m just sad that the agency which I thought should be responsible is not doing anything about it.
Salaam
Monday 26 November 2007
Why Globalisation Isn't ALL Good After All.
I was reading the BB article on the rising food prices. First of all, it’s not only in Brunei (so please don’t blame the government). It’s a global effect. Everyone is feeling the heat especially those in poor developing countries. So we all in Brunei should be grateful.
Why the increase in prices? My answer is that it is very much related to the effect of globalization. Because of globalization, a number of giant economies emerge, in particular, China and India. Their economies grow, and so do their standards of living. As a result world demand for oil, gold and food soar. Any O level economics student would know that an increase in demand will surely lead to an increase in price. Besides the increase in global demand, there are also other factors that lead to the increase in the world’s food price such as floods and draughts (caused by the dramatic climate change) which reduce the world’s food supply.
What should we do? Well, if we can, we should increase food production. Seriously people, put some EXTRA effort in our agriculture production. Anything can happen in the future. There is (sometimes) an extent to what money can buy (from abroad). I believe, at the end of the day any country’s first priority would be the survival of its own people.
On the other hand, in the event that the hike in prices affects our local consumers and producers (which eventually will be inevitable) and as I think, as we speak, some have actually felt the effects (forgive me as I am not in Brunei, I don’t know whether food prices there have actually gone up), then there are 3 things the government can do (in our case 2 things actually):
1. This is when price control sets in. The government would typically set a price ceiling. This is already happening in Russia and Argentina.
2. Eliminate any import tariff on those products. I don’t think this applies to Brunei as I believe the food tariff is already at 0%.
3. Increase or introduce food subsidy, where the government would typically pays for the excess price. This is happening in Egypt as we speak.
Anyway, as I said we all should be grateful. The government has ensured that enough staple food supply is available. For how long, that I don’t know. My only advise for now is DON’T WASTE FOOD!
Salaam.
Why the increase in prices? My answer is that it is very much related to the effect of globalization. Because of globalization, a number of giant economies emerge, in particular, China and India. Their economies grow, and so do their standards of living. As a result world demand for oil, gold and food soar. Any O level economics student would know that an increase in demand will surely lead to an increase in price. Besides the increase in global demand, there are also other factors that lead to the increase in the world’s food price such as floods and draughts (caused by the dramatic climate change) which reduce the world’s food supply.
What should we do? Well, if we can, we should increase food production. Seriously people, put some EXTRA effort in our agriculture production. Anything can happen in the future. There is (sometimes) an extent to what money can buy (from abroad). I believe, at the end of the day any country’s first priority would be the survival of its own people.
On the other hand, in the event that the hike in prices affects our local consumers and producers (which eventually will be inevitable) and as I think, as we speak, some have actually felt the effects (forgive me as I am not in Brunei, I don’t know whether food prices there have actually gone up), then there are 3 things the government can do (in our case 2 things actually):
1. This is when price control sets in. The government would typically set a price ceiling. This is already happening in Russia and Argentina.
2. Eliminate any import tariff on those products. I don’t think this applies to Brunei as I believe the food tariff is already at 0%.
3. Increase or introduce food subsidy, where the government would typically pays for the excess price. This is happening in Egypt as we speak.
Anyway, as I said we all should be grateful. The government has ensured that enough staple food supply is available. For how long, that I don’t know. My only advise for now is DON’T WASTE FOOD!
Salaam.
Saturday 24 November 2007
Ghost town
Reading today's BB headline, reminds me of a blog page by a foreign blogger I read a few years ago. It said Bandar Seri Begawan was a ghost town. Nothing exciting to see. It looked like a 70s town. And the author couldn't believe that it was the city of one of the richest countries in the world. Of course when I read it, I was quite p***-off. How dare he!
But it is true. Nobody goes there anymore. There's nothing to see. Yayasan is no longer exciting. The last time we were there, half of the lights weren't even on. The place looked gloomy. There was no life, boring. Worse, had to pay for car-parking (a big NO to Bruneians!).
So HOW?
I really think the Bandar needs a new breath of life. First, the rentals have to go down. And somebody has to lead the way. I don't know what's the rental in Yayasan, but IT has to be the leader. If the rent in the yayasan building goes down, others will follow suit as competition or price war will set in. Second, the authority has to enforce the law (the piawaian PBD12 Min of Development, or whatever the name is). Owners MUST upkeep their building and properties. Any 'eyesore' has to be punished in a form of monetary fine. Third, make the Bandar HIP and HAPPENING. Make use of what we have! Everytime my husband and I go to the Yayasan building, we cannot help but discuss the potential of the building and its location. For instance, why keep the central open plaza void? You know, the space in between the 2 buildings. My husband keeps on saying it's a WASTED space. Sayang! Come on, get example from Singapore's Bugis junction. Get some traditional performances every week or every night even. Imagine, gulingtangan performances at night. With the view of the mosque. Fantastic! Get some small moving vendors to sell unique stuff and make it a rule that no two vendors can sell the same products.
I remember there was a talk about developing a 'water front'. What happened? Don't tell me the thingy that they built at the old custom was IT! Goodness! Please get private architects to design (with due respect, PLEASE!!! NOT the government architects!). Better still, set up a design competition among the local architect firms. Get the public to vote. No direct cash price, but the winning design will be used and the architect will be appointed (based on a government set-up fee). That way, the government would save some money and less headache.
I am sure there are ways to revive the Bandar. Don't let the development of other areas to be the reason why the Bandar is falling apart. We need to think outside the box. Be more creative. Don't be too conventional. I'm ON if anyone needs some ideas - will put my bestest thinking hat hehe.
Anyway, if there is a will there must be a way. But of course, you also have to put the money where the mouth is.
Salaam.
But it is true. Nobody goes there anymore. There's nothing to see. Yayasan is no longer exciting. The last time we were there, half of the lights weren't even on. The place looked gloomy. There was no life, boring. Worse, had to pay for car-parking (a big NO to Bruneians!).
So HOW?
I really think the Bandar needs a new breath of life. First, the rentals have to go down. And somebody has to lead the way. I don't know what's the rental in Yayasan, but IT has to be the leader. If the rent in the yayasan building goes down, others will follow suit as competition or price war will set in. Second, the authority has to enforce the law (the piawaian PBD12 Min of Development, or whatever the name is). Owners MUST upkeep their building and properties. Any 'eyesore' has to be punished in a form of monetary fine. Third, make the Bandar HIP and HAPPENING. Make use of what we have! Everytime my husband and I go to the Yayasan building, we cannot help but discuss the potential of the building and its location. For instance, why keep the central open plaza void? You know, the space in between the 2 buildings. My husband keeps on saying it's a WASTED space. Sayang! Come on, get example from Singapore's Bugis junction. Get some traditional performances every week or every night even. Imagine, gulingtangan performances at night. With the view of the mosque. Fantastic! Get some small moving vendors to sell unique stuff and make it a rule that no two vendors can sell the same products.
I remember there was a talk about developing a 'water front'. What happened? Don't tell me the thingy that they built at the old custom was IT! Goodness! Please get private architects to design (with due respect, PLEASE!!! NOT the government architects!). Better still, set up a design competition among the local architect firms. Get the public to vote. No direct cash price, but the winning design will be used and the architect will be appointed (based on a government set-up fee). That way, the government would save some money and less headache.
I am sure there are ways to revive the Bandar. Don't let the development of other areas to be the reason why the Bandar is falling apart. We need to think outside the box. Be more creative. Don't be too conventional. I'm ON if anyone needs some ideas - will put my bestest thinking hat hehe.
Anyway, if there is a will there must be a way. But of course, you also have to put the money where the mouth is.
Salaam.
Friday 16 November 2007
Life in the UK Part 1
Living in the UK, has taught me 1 great thing in life. And that is NOT to be dependent on an amah.
I often said to my husband, I admire the British mommies (well at least those moms who send their children to the same school as our children's). They would drive to the school (for some - they even walk), sending and picking up their children, often with another (and sometimes 2!) small baby in arms. Every morning and afternoon, they would park their car, get a baby trolley out of the car, get a baby out of the car, and walk into the school to get their children. And each of their children that goes to school, has a packed lunch.I mean, that is what I call 'bekarih!'. I tell you, it is not easy!
In Brunei, the thought of not having an amah is almost 'unthinkable'. The parents seem to avoid the 'stressfulness' of being parents. Nobody wants to hear their children crying, wailing, arguing. When a child cries, give to 'bibi'. When a child wants something, get from 'bibi'. When a child does something wrong, blame 'bibi'!
I remember when we first told our friends and families, our decision not to bring an amah. Everyone was giving us the 'look'. You know the look that says 'Are you sure? Can you cope? Hooowww??'. Even today, everyone we met in Brunei was asking how we could have survived, studying and raising 2 kids, without the help of an amah.I must say, at the beginning I was quite worried myself. I wasn't so sure how I could cope, being a full time mommy and at the same time doing my research, which demands a lot of time and effort.
Well the secret is job-sharing, or the economics term for it is 'division of labour'. We share, my husband and I, the house work; I cook and do laundry, while the hubby does the dish-washing and vacuuming. We take turn doing our kids' homework and reading them to sleep. As a result we get to spend a lot of time with each other. We both know what our children 'likes' and 'dislikes'. We get to watch what they eat, play, programmes they watch on tv etc. And as for the children, they get to become more independent. For example, my 4-year old makes up her own bed every morning (and really neat! you wouldn't expect it's the doing of a 4-year old!), my 5-year old helps her sister wear her clothes, teaches her to read; and both of them take their plates and cups to the kitchen (which made everyone in Brunei cried in delight when they saw what they did hehe). As for our relationship (the hubby and I), we get to communicate better. We solve any problem together and we respect each other even more.
Sadly, I think this doesn't happen to many families (that I know of) in Brunei. In the morning, mom and dad go to work. Often separately. A driver will send the children to (and from) school. Mum and dad don't go back home for lunch (they also lunch separately). Mum and dad come back home in the evening, exhausted. Children go to tuition schools. Children come home, exhausted. Children sleep. Mom and dad sleep. I have seen parents who only want to spend time with their children after their children are fed, bathed and happy. I have also seen parents who think that the main role of parenting is spoiling their children with money and toys. And worse, I also see parents who spend 10% or maybe even less, of their waking hours with their children.
For most parents in Brunei, their amahs know better about their children then they do. And as a result the parents-children relation become distant. Often, when something is wrong, parents would blame their amahs, expecting them to do a fantastic job of two parents with a mere salary of $250 a month. On the other hand, the high dependence on amah, has made many employers turn blind eyes to their amah's wrong-doings. The thought of their 'beloved' amah who runs the whole family, going home, is crazy. Somehow, people can't or don't want to function normally without an amah. Amah going for their contract leave IS a big deal for many people. It disrupts life and can also affect the running of an entire work organisation, where people take 'emergency' leaves.
I don't know about you but this type of 'chronic' dependence on an amah, to me, not only can it affect the economy but it can also lead to social problem. Family value is lost, communication breaks down and people become lazy (just look at our youths!).
Surely there must be something that the government can do to remedy the situation. Maybe flexibility in terms of working hours can be introduced. Day-care centres perhaps can be provided in work-places. If other countries can run smoothly without their people needing and depending of an amah, WHY CAN't we? Now, I'm not suggesting that we should ban amah (that would certainly have a catastrophic effect on the lives of Brunei people and could also have a political effect as well!), but some measures should be introduced.
Well, maybe I'm being too paranoid. Maybe I'm too wrapped-up in my own world that I don't think normally, the way Bruneians think. But I would love to hire day cleaners to clean my house and babysitters to look after my children when I go out. Hey, we could create jobs!
Anyway, the point is I don't think I need a stranger to live 24/7 in my house. This is MY family. And what can be more important than one's own family?
Salaam.
Addendum 20 Nov 07:
To be fair, I am not against people having amahs and neither do I think all amahs are bad. There were many times how I wished I had one, to help me around especially during hectic times. But please don't be TOO dependent on one. A line should be drawn between someone who is helping with the house-chores (them) and someone who is running the family (you, mom and dad). Salaam..
I often said to my husband, I admire the British mommies (well at least those moms who send their children to the same school as our children's). They would drive to the school (for some - they even walk), sending and picking up their children, often with another (and sometimes 2!) small baby in arms. Every morning and afternoon, they would park their car, get a baby trolley out of the car, get a baby out of the car, and walk into the school to get their children. And each of their children that goes to school, has a packed lunch.I mean, that is what I call 'bekarih!'. I tell you, it is not easy!
In Brunei, the thought of not having an amah is almost 'unthinkable'. The parents seem to avoid the 'stressfulness' of being parents. Nobody wants to hear their children crying, wailing, arguing. When a child cries, give to 'bibi'. When a child wants something, get from 'bibi'. When a child does something wrong, blame 'bibi'!
I remember when we first told our friends and families, our decision not to bring an amah. Everyone was giving us the 'look'. You know the look that says 'Are you sure? Can you cope? Hooowww??'. Even today, everyone we met in Brunei was asking how we could have survived, studying and raising 2 kids, without the help of an amah.I must say, at the beginning I was quite worried myself. I wasn't so sure how I could cope, being a full time mommy and at the same time doing my research, which demands a lot of time and effort.
Well the secret is job-sharing, or the economics term for it is 'division of labour'. We share, my husband and I, the house work; I cook and do laundry, while the hubby does the dish-washing and vacuuming. We take turn doing our kids' homework and reading them to sleep. As a result we get to spend a lot of time with each other. We both know what our children 'likes' and 'dislikes'. We get to watch what they eat, play, programmes they watch on tv etc. And as for the children, they get to become more independent. For example, my 4-year old makes up her own bed every morning (and really neat! you wouldn't expect it's the doing of a 4-year old!), my 5-year old helps her sister wear her clothes, teaches her to read; and both of them take their plates and cups to the kitchen (which made everyone in Brunei cried in delight when they saw what they did hehe). As for our relationship (the hubby and I), we get to communicate better. We solve any problem together and we respect each other even more.
Sadly, I think this doesn't happen to many families (that I know of) in Brunei. In the morning, mom and dad go to work. Often separately. A driver will send the children to (and from) school. Mum and dad don't go back home for lunch (they also lunch separately). Mum and dad come back home in the evening, exhausted. Children go to tuition schools. Children come home, exhausted. Children sleep. Mom and dad sleep. I have seen parents who only want to spend time with their children after their children are fed, bathed and happy. I have also seen parents who think that the main role of parenting is spoiling their children with money and toys. And worse, I also see parents who spend 10% or maybe even less, of their waking hours with their children.
For most parents in Brunei, their amahs know better about their children then they do. And as a result the parents-children relation become distant. Often, when something is wrong, parents would blame their amahs, expecting them to do a fantastic job of two parents with a mere salary of $250 a month. On the other hand, the high dependence on amah, has made many employers turn blind eyes to their amah's wrong-doings. The thought of their 'beloved' amah who runs the whole family, going home, is crazy. Somehow, people can't or don't want to function normally without an amah. Amah going for their contract leave IS a big deal for many people. It disrupts life and can also affect the running of an entire work organisation, where people take 'emergency' leaves.
I don't know about you but this type of 'chronic' dependence on an amah, to me, not only can it affect the economy but it can also lead to social problem. Family value is lost, communication breaks down and people become lazy (just look at our youths!).
Surely there must be something that the government can do to remedy the situation. Maybe flexibility in terms of working hours can be introduced. Day-care centres perhaps can be provided in work-places. If other countries can run smoothly without their people needing and depending of an amah, WHY CAN't we? Now, I'm not suggesting that we should ban amah (that would certainly have a catastrophic effect on the lives of Brunei people and could also have a political effect as well!), but some measures should be introduced.
Well, maybe I'm being too paranoid. Maybe I'm too wrapped-up in my own world that I don't think normally, the way Bruneians think. But I would love to hire day cleaners to clean my house and babysitters to look after my children when I go out. Hey, we could create jobs!
Anyway, the point is I don't think I need a stranger to live 24/7 in my house. This is MY family. And what can be more important than one's own family?
Salaam.
Addendum 20 Nov 07:
To be fair, I am not against people having amahs and neither do I think all amahs are bad. There were many times how I wished I had one, to help me around especially during hectic times. But please don't be TOO dependent on one. A line should be drawn between someone who is helping with the house-chores (them) and someone who is running the family (you, mom and dad). Salaam..
Monday 12 November 2007
Brunei human resource
I welcome HM's titah on the re-evaluation of the public sector's staff. It is high time that a PROPER human resource auditing is made on each department. I must say it is not easy and it needs expertise. From my too little experience, a long time ago I was involved in the development of a long-term planning of an institution. One of the exercises was to make a long-term projection of the number of staff needed in each department. So out we went asking each department to give us the details of their staff projection. And you just couldn't believe the ridiculous numbers some departments put on their projection! For example, the ratio of clerks to an officer was like 2:1 or sometimes 3:1!
I honestly believe that the work force in the public sector is unbalanced. Take my current workplace for example (the situation is improving I must say), I can put the human resources into 3 categories with the relevant percentage:
1. Admin staff including clerks- 50%
2. Officers with their own specific portfolio (but who end up doing admin stuff either voluntarily or involuntarily)- 40%
3. Thinkers or policy-makers- 10% or less!
And you would have thought that by having a 90% admin, anything admin would run out smoothly..He** NO! And you would also have thought that since there are so many clerical staff, all the nitty-gritty of work such as photo-copying, faxing, data-inputting etc will be done quickly... haha DREAM ON!. I personally blame the HODs. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Forget 'jaga hati'. How many times have u seen the staff in the government departments having leisure - reading the magazine, chatting, eating and drinking in groups? 90% of the time in my case. And yet you can almost hear the same lament of each HOD, "we don't have enough staff".
Often, it actually makes me wonder, do we need MORE staff? I do however think that we need more THINKERS, policy-makers, researchers who are expert and/or at least have relevant qualifications to do their work. Enough admin. And enough job-qualification mis-match! After 10 years you only end-up of having dead wood who constantly think that 'life is not fair'.
I would be very interested to know the outcome of the reports. I would like to see that the numbers of policy-makers in each department go up. And at the same time, find a mechanism to ensure that the current staff is optimally utilized.
But then who am I to say? I'm just a mom and still at school..hehe
Salaam.
I honestly believe that the work force in the public sector is unbalanced. Take my current workplace for example (the situation is improving I must say), I can put the human resources into 3 categories with the relevant percentage:
1. Admin staff including clerks- 50%
2. Officers with their own specific portfolio (but who end up doing admin stuff either voluntarily or involuntarily)- 40%
3. Thinkers or policy-makers- 10% or less!
And you would have thought that by having a 90% admin, anything admin would run out smoothly..He** NO! And you would also have thought that since there are so many clerical staff, all the nitty-gritty of work such as photo-copying, faxing, data-inputting etc will be done quickly... haha DREAM ON!. I personally blame the HODs. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Forget 'jaga hati'. How many times have u seen the staff in the government departments having leisure - reading the magazine, chatting, eating and drinking in groups? 90% of the time in my case. And yet you can almost hear the same lament of each HOD, "we don't have enough staff".
Often, it actually makes me wonder, do we need MORE staff? I do however think that we need more THINKERS, policy-makers, researchers who are expert and/or at least have relevant qualifications to do their work. Enough admin. And enough job-qualification mis-match! After 10 years you only end-up of having dead wood who constantly think that 'life is not fair'.
I would be very interested to know the outcome of the reports. I would like to see that the numbers of policy-makers in each department go up. And at the same time, find a mechanism to ensure that the current staff is optimally utilized.
But then who am I to say? I'm just a mom and still at school..hehe
Salaam.
Sunday 28 October 2007
13 Ways to Earn Extra Money
Has anyone in Brunei tried any of these-and succeed? Would love to hear some success stories. Anyway, many of them are pretty do-able..for example no. 4..I would love to get people come in on a regular basis to clean my house (rather than having full-time amahs- who, in our experience, have caused a lot of headaches and heartaches to some) and what about no. 13, I am sure that the hostels at the UBD and/or ITB are not enough to accomodate students who need places to live. And no. 8? Why should it be an Indian to cut-off the grass? Are the Brunei boys too weak to hold and operate the grass-cutters?
If you know any local who is offering services such as house-cleaning, grass-cutting, babysitting, please let me know...I would definitely be engaging them and will put good word of mouth to other friends and families (provided the services are satisfactory!)...Anyway, enjoy the article..you never know, you are on your way to become a self-made towkeh...
By Jennifer Howze
Everybody needs a quick infusion of cash from time to time. These ideas bring in money fast, and many can also be done at flexible times, so it's easier to arrange child care with a friend or family member for free.
1. Have a garage sale. By using a few easy tricks, like posting fliers at grocery stores and Laundromats, making signs that can be seen from nearby busy streets and displaying your items in a department-store style, you can increase the amount your sale brings in.
2. Sell on eBay. Books, CDs, unused sports or exercise equipment, clothing, novelty items -- people buy all kinds of things. Even if you're selling several small items, the money can add up. Just make sure the buyer, not you, pays the cost of shipping.
3. Put clothes on consignment. This is an especially good way to get rid of clothing like fancy dresses (think old prom gowns and cocktail dresses you'll never wear again), but anything in good condition can be put on consignment. You share the money from the sale with the consignment shop, but it's an easy way to squeeze some money out of clothes that would otherwise just take up closet space.
4. Perform household services. You can earn some money informally by letting friends, family, and others in your community know that you're available to clean their houses or apartments, or to take in ironing. If you find you have a knack and stamina for cleaning quickly and thoroughly, you can turn this into a regular, reliable way to earn extra money every month.
5. Have a bake sale. Do you make a killer chocolate chip cookies? Are yummy breakfast burritos your specialty? If so, why not bring in your items once a week to your job and sell them to coworkers and other businesspeople in the vicinity? If you don't have a job, what about a friend's workplace, a community center or a nursing home? Put the word out beforehand and gauge the response as you go, so you don't end up with a lot of leftover food. By talking up your home-baked goodies and arriving at the same time every day or every week, you may find that people start to anticipate your arrival. You can start a cottage industry along the lines of Mary's Monday Cookie Break when you come around to hawk your wares.
6. Sell homegrown fruits and vegetables. You don't have to have a farm to produce delicious, delicious, organic produce. By presenting your goods in an appealing way (save the plastic or cardboard produce containers from the grocery store and tie them with a distinctive ribbon or desktop-printed label), you give them niche appeal, and you can sell them much the same way as baked items, listed above.
7. Have a family car wash. Enlist your spouse, your kids and their friends on a Saturday to hold a car wash. Talk to local merchants who have parking lots and ask them to donate the space, or set up an assembly line on your street. By naming the event ("The Annual Jones Family Car Wash") and highlighting an upbeat family goal ("We use this car wash to pay for the kids' extracurricular school activities"), you give people a reason to join your cause.
8. Do gardening services. Mowing lawns is a perennial summer job for kids. If you have a mower, encourage your children to launch a business -- or do it yourself. In addition, you can also weed or haul gardening rubbish to the dump (often garbage services won't remove it).
9. Provide man-with-van services. Or, in this case, woman with van (or truck). This service is great for people who need to move a single piece of furniture or for young people who don't have a lot of stuff. If you're able to do moves on your own or with a helper like a friend or spouse, you can position yourself as a mother's helper (a woman living alone might feel more comfortable having another woman moving something into or out of her home). If you don't have a lot of physical strength, your husband and a cousin, uncle or son can do the heavy lifting and you can take care of scheduling and follow-up. A small classified ad in the local paper is an economical way to advertise.
10. Get a paper route. While we often think of paper delivery as a job for a boy on a bike, all kinds of people pick up extra cash this way. Because papers are delivered in the morning, it's possible to complete a route before the regular workday starts, or before your kids are up. (Just make sure you catch up on your sleep by going to bed early at night!)
11. Pet sit. Owners are always looking for reliable pet-care services. Plus, if you stay home with your kids during the day, a regular dog-walking gig is a great way to get everyone out of the house for some fresh air and earn extra money. Put the word out at pounds, the ASPCA, the local veterinarian's and dog runs. Be prepared to provide references from anyone you've ever sat for before. Learn how you can also turn pet sitting into a home business.
12. Babysit. To provide regular child care in your home, you'll often need to be accredited and registered with the state. But occasional babysitting in your home or someone else's is more straightforward. You might already babysit for friends for free, but by reaching out in your community you can find parents whom you would feel comfortable charging a reasonable fee. Depending on your schedule, you can position yourself as a last-minute resource, a Saturday sitter while Mom does errands, a date-night sitter and so on.
13. Rent out a room. This option might take longer than some of the others listed here, but it can provide steady income for a set period of time, or even indefinitely. It might require that your kids share a bedroom or that you give up a family room in the house, so everyone in the family should be prepared for the changes. And of course care should be taken to pick carefully to ensure you get a trustworthy boarder. This is an especially good option if you live near a university or technical college. Eighteen- to 22-year-olds will more likely be fine renting a room with kitchen privileges than older people, and you'll be able to rent on a semester basis.
If you know any local who is offering services such as house-cleaning, grass-cutting, babysitting, please let me know...I would definitely be engaging them and will put good word of mouth to other friends and families (provided the services are satisfactory!)...Anyway, enjoy the article..you never know, you are on your way to become a self-made towkeh...
By Jennifer Howze
Everybody needs a quick infusion of cash from time to time. These ideas bring in money fast, and many can also be done at flexible times, so it's easier to arrange child care with a friend or family member for free.
1. Have a garage sale. By using a few easy tricks, like posting fliers at grocery stores and Laundromats, making signs that can be seen from nearby busy streets and displaying your items in a department-store style, you can increase the amount your sale brings in.
2. Sell on eBay. Books, CDs, unused sports or exercise equipment, clothing, novelty items -- people buy all kinds of things. Even if you're selling several small items, the money can add up. Just make sure the buyer, not you, pays the cost of shipping.
3. Put clothes on consignment. This is an especially good way to get rid of clothing like fancy dresses (think old prom gowns and cocktail dresses you'll never wear again), but anything in good condition can be put on consignment. You share the money from the sale with the consignment shop, but it's an easy way to squeeze some money out of clothes that would otherwise just take up closet space.
4. Perform household services. You can earn some money informally by letting friends, family, and others in your community know that you're available to clean their houses or apartments, or to take in ironing. If you find you have a knack and stamina for cleaning quickly and thoroughly, you can turn this into a regular, reliable way to earn extra money every month.
5. Have a bake sale. Do you make a killer chocolate chip cookies? Are yummy breakfast burritos your specialty? If so, why not bring in your items once a week to your job and sell them to coworkers and other businesspeople in the vicinity? If you don't have a job, what about a friend's workplace, a community center or a nursing home? Put the word out beforehand and gauge the response as you go, so you don't end up with a lot of leftover food. By talking up your home-baked goodies and arriving at the same time every day or every week, you may find that people start to anticipate your arrival. You can start a cottage industry along the lines of Mary's Monday Cookie Break when you come around to hawk your wares.
6. Sell homegrown fruits and vegetables. You don't have to have a farm to produce delicious, delicious, organic produce. By presenting your goods in an appealing way (save the plastic or cardboard produce containers from the grocery store and tie them with a distinctive ribbon or desktop-printed label), you give them niche appeal, and you can sell them much the same way as baked items, listed above.
7. Have a family car wash. Enlist your spouse, your kids and their friends on a Saturday to hold a car wash. Talk to local merchants who have parking lots and ask them to donate the space, or set up an assembly line on your street. By naming the event ("The Annual Jones Family Car Wash") and highlighting an upbeat family goal ("We use this car wash to pay for the kids' extracurricular school activities"), you give people a reason to join your cause.
8. Do gardening services. Mowing lawns is a perennial summer job for kids. If you have a mower, encourage your children to launch a business -- or do it yourself. In addition, you can also weed or haul gardening rubbish to the dump (often garbage services won't remove it).
9. Provide man-with-van services. Or, in this case, woman with van (or truck). This service is great for people who need to move a single piece of furniture or for young people who don't have a lot of stuff. If you're able to do moves on your own or with a helper like a friend or spouse, you can position yourself as a mother's helper (a woman living alone might feel more comfortable having another woman moving something into or out of her home). If you don't have a lot of physical strength, your husband and a cousin, uncle or son can do the heavy lifting and you can take care of scheduling and follow-up. A small classified ad in the local paper is an economical way to advertise.
10. Get a paper route. While we often think of paper delivery as a job for a boy on a bike, all kinds of people pick up extra cash this way. Because papers are delivered in the morning, it's possible to complete a route before the regular workday starts, or before your kids are up. (Just make sure you catch up on your sleep by going to bed early at night!)
11. Pet sit. Owners are always looking for reliable pet-care services. Plus, if you stay home with your kids during the day, a regular dog-walking gig is a great way to get everyone out of the house for some fresh air and earn extra money. Put the word out at pounds, the ASPCA, the local veterinarian's and dog runs. Be prepared to provide references from anyone you've ever sat for before. Learn how you can also turn pet sitting into a home business.
12. Babysit. To provide regular child care in your home, you'll often need to be accredited and registered with the state. But occasional babysitting in your home or someone else's is more straightforward. You might already babysit for friends for free, but by reaching out in your community you can find parents whom you would feel comfortable charging a reasonable fee. Depending on your schedule, you can position yourself as a last-minute resource, a Saturday sitter while Mom does errands, a date-night sitter and so on.
13. Rent out a room. This option might take longer than some of the others listed here, but it can provide steady income for a set period of time, or even indefinitely. It might require that your kids share a bedroom or that you give up a family room in the house, so everyone in the family should be prepared for the changes. And of course care should be taken to pick carefully to ensure you get a trustworthy boarder. This is an especially good option if you live near a university or technical college. Eighteen- to 22-year-olds will more likely be fine renting a room with kitchen privileges than older people, and you'll be able to rent on a semester basis.
Thursday 25 October 2007
How did I get to love Economics?
It was many years ago.... Well, when I was young I used to live abroad and when I came back I went straight to the secondary school, to be precise, I was put in Form 5. You see, while abroad I went to some international schools which did not have the same system that we had in Brunei. As a result the subjects I took were like American History, Drama, French etc. And when I came back, I had to choose subjects which I had zero idea of. These included Economics, Principle of Accounting, Malay and History. It was in May when I resumed my education in Brunei and the 'O' level exams were in November. So imagine how panic I was!*
Anyway, my economics teacher at that time, who was local, I presumed had faith in me (my POA teacher on the other didn't..I remember she told me that I wouldn't get through with just a few months to learn things which were supposed to be learnt in 2 years..Well, Miss..I've proven you wrong!!). Back to this economics teacher (God bless him, Allah Taala saja membalasnya) he was the kind of teacher who was dedicated. Of many teachers, he was the only one who made the effort to give extra classes to his students, free of charge, to prepare for the upcoming O levels. And the way he taught us, his patience in explaining the theory of demand and supply, elasticities etc etc..was superb. And I guess because he was such a likable and friendly teacher, well we could approach him anytime we wanted, he made economics the most understandable subject I've ever learnt (to me that is). And I said to myself, this is it..for better or for worse, economics would become a part of my life..either teaching it or using it or anything to do with it.
I don't know if we still have the kind of teachers like my economics teacher. Even during the time when being a teacher was a profession that someone would chose at her/his own free will, only a few were available. What about now, I wonder, when teaching has become the profession of 'the last resort'? When becoming a teacher is probably no longer the favourite ambition of our children. Will we be able to produce dedicated teachers? Teachers who live to teach, not teach to live.
For those of you who are teachers or who are becoming one, please take pride in what you do. Being a teacher is one of the noblest job. Either directly or indirectly you get to shape-up people's lives and/or help people to determine which path they want to take in life. It is a big responsibility. So if you think teaching is not for you, then don't do it for the sake of just having a job. You might be depriving those who genuinely want to teach hence depriving students from having dedicated and good teachers.
I was extremely lucky to have met my teacher. I'm forever indebted to him. Thank you, Sir!
Anyway, my economics teacher at that time, who was local, I presumed had faith in me (my POA teacher on the other didn't..I remember she told me that I wouldn't get through with just a few months to learn things which were supposed to be learnt in 2 years..Well, Miss..I've proven you wrong!!). Back to this economics teacher (God bless him, Allah Taala saja membalasnya) he was the kind of teacher who was dedicated. Of many teachers, he was the only one who made the effort to give extra classes to his students, free of charge, to prepare for the upcoming O levels. And the way he taught us, his patience in explaining the theory of demand and supply, elasticities etc etc..was superb. And I guess because he was such a likable and friendly teacher, well we could approach him anytime we wanted, he made economics the most understandable subject I've ever learnt (to me that is). And I said to myself, this is it..for better or for worse, economics would become a part of my life..either teaching it or using it or anything to do with it.
I don't know if we still have the kind of teachers like my economics teacher. Even during the time when being a teacher was a profession that someone would chose at her/his own free will, only a few were available. What about now, I wonder, when teaching has become the profession of 'the last resort'? When becoming a teacher is probably no longer the favourite ambition of our children. Will we be able to produce dedicated teachers? Teachers who live to teach, not teach to live.
For those of you who are teachers or who are becoming one, please take pride in what you do. Being a teacher is one of the noblest job. Either directly or indirectly you get to shape-up people's lives and/or help people to determine which path they want to take in life. It is a big responsibility. So if you think teaching is not for you, then don't do it for the sake of just having a job. You might be depriving those who genuinely want to teach hence depriving students from having dedicated and good teachers.
I was extremely lucky to have met my teacher. I'm forever indebted to him. Thank you, Sir!
Salaam.
* I managed to get 7 credits out of 8 subjects. And the 1 I didn't was History (bless the teacher, he was nice too! I could never - and still can't - remember the years and the names or which year goes with what hahaha)
Thursday 18 October 2007
Top 10 Economics Blog
Top 10 Economics Blogs according to Technorati
1. Freakonomics
2. Marginal Revolution
3. Greg Mankiw's Blog
4. The Big Picture
5. Economist's View
6. The Becker-Posner Blog
7. Brad DeLong
8. EconLog
9. Dani Rodrik
10. The Conscience of a Liberal (Paul Krugman)
Source: www.26econ.com
1. Freakonomics
2. Marginal Revolution
3. Greg Mankiw's Blog
4. The Big Picture
5. Economist's View
6. The Becker-Posner Blog
7. Brad DeLong
8. EconLog
9. Dani Rodrik
10. The Conscience of a Liberal (Paul Krugman)
Source: www.26econ.com
Get Rich Young
I found this article in MSN money which is very interesting...The moral of the article is to get your attitude right, believe in yourself and hey! No Pain No Gain...and let's banish the Brunei-mentality of get-rich-quick-and-businessman-equals-a-Mercedez Benz.
Tips to get rich young
By Emma-Lou Montgomery
October 12 2007
You almost never get rich working for someone else, and to give you a helping hand in starting your own business and making it successful here are five tips from people who made it big before they were 30.
An increasing number of young people are defying the traditional view that you need to spend years learning the ropes before starting your own business. Not only that, but they're also proving themselves to be inspirational entrepreneurs in the process.
"Owning your own business is no longer the preserve of older employees with decades of work experience," pointed out Chris Humphries, director general of City & Guilds.
Young people who have already made their mark are providing the biggest inspiration for the next generation. Nearly half of the young wannabe entrepreneurs said they know someone under the age of 30 who has already gone it alone.
Whether you already have a role model or not, here are some valuable tips and insights about starting up in business from five young, and highly successful, entrepreneurs.
1. Know your target audience
When Richard Reed, co-founder of smoothie and fruit drinks company Innocent, started out he took his former boss' advice to heart and made certain he knew his target audience.
"The only target audience we absolutely knew was our friends and family," Richard said.
"And what we identified was a need for something healthy that we and our friends and family could consume despite the long hours we worked and relatively unhealthy lifestyles we had as a result."
To fill this gap in the market he, along with Adam Balon and Jon Wright, bought £500 worth of fruit and turned it into smoothies. They sold them from a stall at a music festival in London in the summer of 1998 and this was the start of a business which now has a £10 million annual turnover.
But before leaping in, they made sure they were making the right move.
"We put up a big sign saying 'Do you think we should give up our jobs to make these smoothies?'. And put out a bin saying 'YES' and a bin saying 'NO'. We asked people to put the empty bottle in the right bin. At the end of the weekend the 'YES' bin was full so we went in the next day and resigned," Richard said.
2. Remember there's no such thing as failure
As a schoolboy, Peter Jones dreamed of running a multi-million pound company. Today he is one of the stars of the TV series Dragons Den and in charge of a £200 million empire as owner, chairman and chief executive of various businesses ranging from telecoms and leisure to publishing and media.
He's had plenty of ups and downs on his way to the top, but Peter says the key to success is to refuse to acknowledge the existence of the word "failure".
"I believe that there are no failures in this world - only events that give you feedback," Peter said.
And his long line of achievements, starting when he set up a tennis academy at a local club aged just 16, are testimony to that.
By the age of 28, as the youngest-ever head of PC business at computer firm Siemens Nixdorf, he was off again. This time with Phones International Group, his telecoms business that now counts every leading brand in the mobile industry among its business partners, whether as a supplier, customer or collaborator.
You could say he wouldn't know the meaning of the word failure, having been recognised as the 13th fastest growing business within the Sunday Times/Virgin Atlantic UK Fast Track League Table. Peter was named as Emerging Entrepreneur of The Year by The Times/Ernst & Young and came 14th in the Daily Telegraph's young entrepreneurs list in 2005.
3. Have a 'can-do' attitude
When Michelle Mone was just 10 years old, she was already thinking big. Having decided she wanted to become an entrepreneur, she recruited 12 friends and started a company delivering hot rolls with peoples' morning newspaper. The woman who left school at 15 with no qualifications has since been named not only "Businesswoman of the Year", but also "World Young Business Achiever", following the phenomenal worldwide success of her company Ultimo Bras.
Michelle said: "The most important thing, in my opinion, is that can-do attitude. The can-do attitude and have-a-go mentality I believe is what breeds success."
4. You can reinvent the wheel
Fraser Doherty was 14 when he started making jam and selling it locally. Now he runs Doherty's Preserves, a luxury jam company that sells its produce all over the world. He's proof that sometimes the best business ideas are simply improving what we've got.
"I started mine in an afternoon with a dozen oranges and a bag of sugar," he said.
"Since I was about eight I had lots of little projects on the go, trying different ways of making pocket money. The catalyst came when my gran taught me her top secret jam recipe and I had something of a 'eureka' moment. I realised I could make jam myself and sell it door to door in the local area."
5. Give it a go
Simon Woodroffe, founder of conveyor-belt sushi bar Yo Sushi, says the key to success is just to do it.
He said: "Ban your brain from thinking about whether the idea will work and whether you should do it. Most budding entrepreneurs stall at the starting line, thinking 'Shall I? Shan't I?'
"Instead, put in the work of developing and researching the project, knowing that you will not make the decision to proceed until you have more information and awareness."
With those tips for success up your sleeve, the desire and ambition to succeed, and the dedication and drive to meet your goals, there should be no stopping you. Whatever you want to be. Whatever you want to do. Just do it.
Salaam.
Tips to get rich young
By Emma-Lou Montgomery
October 12 2007
You almost never get rich working for someone else, and to give you a helping hand in starting your own business and making it successful here are five tips from people who made it big before they were 30.
An increasing number of young people are defying the traditional view that you need to spend years learning the ropes before starting your own business. Not only that, but they're also proving themselves to be inspirational entrepreneurs in the process.
"Owning your own business is no longer the preserve of older employees with decades of work experience," pointed out Chris Humphries, director general of City & Guilds.
Young people who have already made their mark are providing the biggest inspiration for the next generation. Nearly half of the young wannabe entrepreneurs said they know someone under the age of 30 who has already gone it alone.
Whether you already have a role model or not, here are some valuable tips and insights about starting up in business from five young, and highly successful, entrepreneurs.
1. Know your target audience
When Richard Reed, co-founder of smoothie and fruit drinks company Innocent, started out he took his former boss' advice to heart and made certain he knew his target audience.
"The only target audience we absolutely knew was our friends and family," Richard said.
"And what we identified was a need for something healthy that we and our friends and family could consume despite the long hours we worked and relatively unhealthy lifestyles we had as a result."
To fill this gap in the market he, along with Adam Balon and Jon Wright, bought £500 worth of fruit and turned it into smoothies. They sold them from a stall at a music festival in London in the summer of 1998 and this was the start of a business which now has a £10 million annual turnover.
But before leaping in, they made sure they were making the right move.
"We put up a big sign saying 'Do you think we should give up our jobs to make these smoothies?'. And put out a bin saying 'YES' and a bin saying 'NO'. We asked people to put the empty bottle in the right bin. At the end of the weekend the 'YES' bin was full so we went in the next day and resigned," Richard said.
2. Remember there's no such thing as failure
As a schoolboy, Peter Jones dreamed of running a multi-million pound company. Today he is one of the stars of the TV series Dragons Den and in charge of a £200 million empire as owner, chairman and chief executive of various businesses ranging from telecoms and leisure to publishing and media.
He's had plenty of ups and downs on his way to the top, but Peter says the key to success is to refuse to acknowledge the existence of the word "failure".
"I believe that there are no failures in this world - only events that give you feedback," Peter said.
And his long line of achievements, starting when he set up a tennis academy at a local club aged just 16, are testimony to that.
By the age of 28, as the youngest-ever head of PC business at computer firm Siemens Nixdorf, he was off again. This time with Phones International Group, his telecoms business that now counts every leading brand in the mobile industry among its business partners, whether as a supplier, customer or collaborator.
You could say he wouldn't know the meaning of the word failure, having been recognised as the 13th fastest growing business within the Sunday Times/Virgin Atlantic UK Fast Track League Table. Peter was named as Emerging Entrepreneur of The Year by The Times/Ernst & Young and came 14th in the Daily Telegraph's young entrepreneurs list in 2005.
3. Have a 'can-do' attitude
When Michelle Mone was just 10 years old, she was already thinking big. Having decided she wanted to become an entrepreneur, she recruited 12 friends and started a company delivering hot rolls with peoples' morning newspaper. The woman who left school at 15 with no qualifications has since been named not only "Businesswoman of the Year", but also "World Young Business Achiever", following the phenomenal worldwide success of her company Ultimo Bras.
Michelle said: "The most important thing, in my opinion, is that can-do attitude. The can-do attitude and have-a-go mentality I believe is what breeds success."
4. You can reinvent the wheel
Fraser Doherty was 14 when he started making jam and selling it locally. Now he runs Doherty's Preserves, a luxury jam company that sells its produce all over the world. He's proof that sometimes the best business ideas are simply improving what we've got.
"I started mine in an afternoon with a dozen oranges and a bag of sugar," he said.
"Since I was about eight I had lots of little projects on the go, trying different ways of making pocket money. The catalyst came when my gran taught me her top secret jam recipe and I had something of a 'eureka' moment. I realised I could make jam myself and sell it door to door in the local area."
5. Give it a go
Simon Woodroffe, founder of conveyor-belt sushi bar Yo Sushi, says the key to success is just to do it.
He said: "Ban your brain from thinking about whether the idea will work and whether you should do it. Most budding entrepreneurs stall at the starting line, thinking 'Shall I? Shan't I?'
"Instead, put in the work of developing and researching the project, knowing that you will not make the decision to proceed until you have more information and awareness."
With those tips for success up your sleeve, the desire and ambition to succeed, and the dedication and drive to meet your goals, there should be no stopping you. Whatever you want to be. Whatever you want to do. Just do it.
Salaam.
Tuesday 9 October 2007
The Economics Behind the Fuel Limit
At first I thought I wouldn't write anything until after Raya. However, I'm quite surprised by the bold measure taken by the government regarding the limit to the amount of fuel a foreigner can buy (see Brudirect).
Basically the government is giving a ration to foreigners. The effect of a ration is equivalent to the effect of reducing the price, however with the objective of restricting demand. So, for those of you who are familiar with the Demand and Supply curves, when the price is set below the equilibrium price, there will be an excess demand i.e. the quantity demanded will be greater than the quantity supplied.
The reason why the government is doing this is simply because the government has incurred (I presume) a large amount of losses. In case, many of you do not know, the fuel prices in Brunei are probably among the cheapest in the world. Also, year in year out, the prices you pay stay the same. (For example, here in the UK, the fuel prices are about 95pence p/litre for petrol and 97 pence p/litre for diesel, that's like $3.00 per litre! and the prices we pay vary each day). Why? Well, it is not because we are producing oil (those are crude oil and they aren't the fuel!), it's mainly because the government has subsidized the prices we pay. How much? I don't know, but I believe it's LOTS. Even if the amount of the subsidy is not much (highly unlikely), the government has also made losses in terms of the potential income it can get from selling the fuel, through the various taxes it can impose. (About 70% of the fuel price we pay in the UK are taxes).
Therefore, it is not really fair for the Brunei government to also subsidize the foreigners, many of whom unfortunately have abused our kind system (For e.g. having hidden tanks in their cars for the sole purpose of re-selling the fuel back in their home countries at higher prices - I think the fuel price in Malaysia is fixed at about RM1.90 per litre s so any price below this would be good enough). I don't also buy their excuse that the limited fuel is not enough for them to travel back and forth. Hey! Don't they have have fuel stations across the borders?
The downside of this policy however (as is always the case when there is excess demand) is the emerging of a black market. This time, I'm afraid it will be our own Bruneians who will be abusing the system, taking the advantage of selling fuel at higher price to foreigners. I hope, there is a readily preventive policy and its implementation for such occurrence. If however that happens, I will be more ashamed to call them our Bruneians.
Once again, we all should be grateful with what our government has provided us. Don't abuse this generosity. It may not last forever.
Salaam.
PS. We might also see a reduction in the number of 'tourists' coming to Brunei. This perhaps will give the true number of genuine tourists. And I would also love to hear other views especially those against this policy.
Basically the government is giving a ration to foreigners. The effect of a ration is equivalent to the effect of reducing the price, however with the objective of restricting demand. So, for those of you who are familiar with the Demand and Supply curves, when the price is set below the equilibrium price, there will be an excess demand i.e. the quantity demanded will be greater than the quantity supplied.
The reason why the government is doing this is simply because the government has incurred (I presume) a large amount of losses. In case, many of you do not know, the fuel prices in Brunei are probably among the cheapest in the world. Also, year in year out, the prices you pay stay the same. (For example, here in the UK, the fuel prices are about 95pence p/litre for petrol and 97 pence p/litre for diesel, that's like $3.00 per litre! and the prices we pay vary each day). Why? Well, it is not because we are producing oil (those are crude oil and they aren't the fuel!), it's mainly because the government has subsidized the prices we pay. How much? I don't know, but I believe it's LOTS. Even if the amount of the subsidy is not much (highly unlikely), the government has also made losses in terms of the potential income it can get from selling the fuel, through the various taxes it can impose. (About 70% of the fuel price we pay in the UK are taxes).
Therefore, it is not really fair for the Brunei government to also subsidize the foreigners, many of whom unfortunately have abused our kind system (For e.g. having hidden tanks in their cars for the sole purpose of re-selling the fuel back in their home countries at higher prices - I think the fuel price in Malaysia is fixed at about RM1.90 per litre s so any price below this would be good enough). I don't also buy their excuse that the limited fuel is not enough for them to travel back and forth. Hey! Don't they have have fuel stations across the borders?
The downside of this policy however (as is always the case when there is excess demand) is the emerging of a black market. This time, I'm afraid it will be our own Bruneians who will be abusing the system, taking the advantage of selling fuel at higher price to foreigners. I hope, there is a readily preventive policy and its implementation for such occurrence. If however that happens, I will be more ashamed to call them our Bruneians.
Once again, we all should be grateful with what our government has provided us. Don't abuse this generosity. It may not last forever.
Salaam.
PS. We might also see a reduction in the number of 'tourists' coming to Brunei. This perhaps will give the true number of genuine tourists. And I would also love to hear other views especially those against this policy.
Monday 8 October 2007
Are We A Responsible Nation?
It saddens me to think that we Bruneians are NOT the most responsible and (probably trustworthy) people in the world. Why do I think that? Well, in Brudirect recently (am not sure if it’s also featured in the RTB news) there was a story regarding a lady who badly needed a house but couldn’t afford to build one and all the while did not have any electricity. However, due to the generousity of an unnamed donor, Insya Allah, the lady would eventually be celebrating her Raya in a proper house.
First of all, I am quite shocked that there are people who actually do not have any access to electricity, in such a rich nation and in this 21st century! Apparently, according to my husband, who has done a lot of remote places visitings, this is not an isolated case. Well, his explanation was that because the houses are not properly built (without the authority approvals), their applications to get electricity are turned down. However, I said the only way for these people to get approvals for their houses, would be through architects, which would be costly. And since they are poor, how on earth would they get the additional money to pay for such service? (something to ponder about).
Then our discussion (during sahur) moves towards the now-discontinued Perumahan Rakyat Jati Scheme (not sure if that’s the real scheme name), you know those wooden brown houses which were given (FOC) to those of low income earners. Why was it discontinued? Well, I believe it’s all related to the selfishness of those who are given houses in the Perumahan Scheme. I remember, I once spoke to an officer from the Housing Department, who told me the dilemma they were facing regarding the Perumahan Scheme. The percentage of people who were paying was very low (and I think still is!) So, this could be the main reason why the former scheme is discontinued.
Well, in case you don’t understand how the two are related, you see, I believe the payment received from the Perumahan scheme, partly will be used to finance the PRJ scheme. If there’s no payment, then there wouldn’t be any money to build the latter. I maybe wrong, but if this is true, then sadly, because of the selfishness and irresponsibility of those in the Perumahan Scheme, people who are in real need (and genuinely cannot afford) of a proper roof, suffer.
I don’t know about you, but we should be grateful with all the facilities the government has provided us. But unfortunately for some people, it is never enough. I’m ashamed with the attitudes of many of us towards work, towards the community and sometimes towards each other; which I sum up as plain irresponsible and selfish. Often you hear people complain about everything! The salary is not enough (despite the recent salary increase and the fact that they are fortunate enough to have a secured job!); it is unfair to stop people from having tea-breaks (reason being some government departments have no canteens! And they probably would die of hunger despite their current physical and health states, which are often obese and diabetic); there is no job (although there are thousands of foreign workers doing hundreds of jobs which could also be done by Bruneians); and etc etc.
These are all examples of irresponsible people. Why the salary is never enough? Because they have just bought bigger cars or buy top-of the range furniture with the ‘Buy now Pay later’ scheme, and as a result they can’t even provide the basic necessities for their family and children. Why is there no job? Well it is the ‘government’ job that is not available and for some reason many Bruneians (and sadly the younger ones) seem to think that it is their God-given right to a government job! As a result, they are putting financial pressure to their families (especially their parents) or even worse, these unemployeds couldn’t even bothered to take the responsibility of having protected sex, which results in many out-of-wed babies, which in the end burden other members of their families (often parents/grandparents). And don't let me even start with those who just love to spend most of their time eating and drinking while at work!
As human beings, we all have responsibilities. And it is through our actions that our responsibilities are carried out. Often we don’t see how our actions will affect others. Unfortunately, many times they do. And that is precisely why we should think twice before we do anything.
Selamat Hari Raya.
Salaam.
First of all, I am quite shocked that there are people who actually do not have any access to electricity, in such a rich nation and in this 21st century! Apparently, according to my husband, who has done a lot of remote places visitings, this is not an isolated case. Well, his explanation was that because the houses are not properly built (without the authority approvals), their applications to get electricity are turned down. However, I said the only way for these people to get approvals for their houses, would be through architects, which would be costly. And since they are poor, how on earth would they get the additional money to pay for such service? (something to ponder about).
Then our discussion (during sahur) moves towards the now-discontinued Perumahan Rakyat Jati Scheme (not sure if that’s the real scheme name), you know those wooden brown houses which were given (FOC) to those of low income earners. Why was it discontinued? Well, I believe it’s all related to the selfishness of those who are given houses in the Perumahan Scheme. I remember, I once spoke to an officer from the Housing Department, who told me the dilemma they were facing regarding the Perumahan Scheme. The percentage of people who were paying was very low (and I think still is!) So, this could be the main reason why the former scheme is discontinued.
Well, in case you don’t understand how the two are related, you see, I believe the payment received from the Perumahan scheme, partly will be used to finance the PRJ scheme. If there’s no payment, then there wouldn’t be any money to build the latter. I maybe wrong, but if this is true, then sadly, because of the selfishness and irresponsibility of those in the Perumahan Scheme, people who are in real need (and genuinely cannot afford) of a proper roof, suffer.
I don’t know about you, but we should be grateful with all the facilities the government has provided us. But unfortunately for some people, it is never enough. I’m ashamed with the attitudes of many of us towards work, towards the community and sometimes towards each other; which I sum up as plain irresponsible and selfish. Often you hear people complain about everything! The salary is not enough (despite the recent salary increase and the fact that they are fortunate enough to have a secured job!); it is unfair to stop people from having tea-breaks (reason being some government departments have no canteens! And they probably would die of hunger despite their current physical and health states, which are often obese and diabetic); there is no job (although there are thousands of foreign workers doing hundreds of jobs which could also be done by Bruneians); and etc etc.
These are all examples of irresponsible people. Why the salary is never enough? Because they have just bought bigger cars or buy top-of the range furniture with the ‘Buy now Pay later’ scheme, and as a result they can’t even provide the basic necessities for their family and children. Why is there no job? Well it is the ‘government’ job that is not available and for some reason many Bruneians (and sadly the younger ones) seem to think that it is their God-given right to a government job! As a result, they are putting financial pressure to their families (especially their parents) or even worse, these unemployeds couldn’t even bothered to take the responsibility of having protected sex, which results in many out-of-wed babies, which in the end burden other members of their families (often parents/grandparents). And don't let me even start with those who just love to spend most of their time eating and drinking while at work!
As human beings, we all have responsibilities. And it is through our actions that our responsibilities are carried out. Often we don’t see how our actions will affect others. Unfortunately, many times they do. And that is precisely why we should think twice before we do anything.
Selamat Hari Raya.
Salaam.
Monday 10 September 2007
Sincere Apology
Dear all
Thanks for still visiting this blogsite. I haven't been able to post new thoughts at the moment as there are too much things to do, and so little time (hence the economics concept of 'scarcity' applies here!). Among others, I have to start writing a new chapter for my research, we have to house-pack (we have to move as our landlord is selling the house!), my second daughter is starting her school (loads to prepare: clothes, food, millions of forms to sign and of course constantly praying that she will be fine!) and on top of that I have LOADS of journals to read (I tell you, I wish reading a journal will give you the same pleasure as reading that Shopaholics novel, hehe).
A note to any mommy who is intending to study: DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. You really need to have a juggling skill and also means less time to do any eyebrow-plucking (you should see the state of mine!hahaha) and will do lots of hair-pulling (your own, that is). BUT I extremely LOVE it!
OK, enough for today. Will try to squeeze some time later, hopefully writing some comprehensible economics stuff related to Brunei. Till then.
Salaam.
Thanks for still visiting this blogsite. I haven't been able to post new thoughts at the moment as there are too much things to do, and so little time (hence the economics concept of 'scarcity' applies here!). Among others, I have to start writing a new chapter for my research, we have to house-pack (we have to move as our landlord is selling the house!), my second daughter is starting her school (loads to prepare: clothes, food, millions of forms to sign and of course constantly praying that she will be fine!) and on top of that I have LOADS of journals to read (I tell you, I wish reading a journal will give you the same pleasure as reading that Shopaholics novel, hehe).
A note to any mommy who is intending to study: DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. You really need to have a juggling skill and also means less time to do any eyebrow-plucking (you should see the state of mine!hahaha) and will do lots of hair-pulling (your own, that is). BUT I extremely LOVE it!
OK, enough for today. Will try to squeeze some time later, hopefully writing some comprehensible economics stuff related to Brunei. Till then.
Salaam.
Wednesday 11 July 2007
The light at the end of....
Can't help but laugh looking at this phd comic. Exactly what I feel at the moment.(From phdcomics.com)
10 Reasons to Study Economics
1. Economists are armed and dangerous: "Watch out for our invisible hands."
2. Economists can supply it on demand.
3. You can talk about money without ever having to make any.
4. You get to say "trickle down" with a straight face.
5. Mick Jagger and Arnold Schwarzenegger both studied economics and look how they turned out.
6. When you are in the unemployment line, at least you will know why you are there.
7. If you rearrange the letters in "ECONOMICS", you get "COMIC NOSE".
8. Although ethics teaches that virtue is its own reward, in economics we get taught that reward is its own virtue.
9. When you get drunk, you can tell everyone that you are just researching the law of diminishing marginal utility.
10. When you call 1-900-LUV-ECON and get Kandi Keynes, you will have something to talk about.
(Source: JokEc)
2. Economists can supply it on demand.
3. You can talk about money without ever having to make any.
4. You get to say "trickle down" with a straight face.
5. Mick Jagger and Arnold Schwarzenegger both studied economics and look how they turned out.
6. When you are in the unemployment line, at least you will know why you are there.
7. If you rearrange the letters in "ECONOMICS", you get "COMIC NOSE".
8. Although ethics teaches that virtue is its own reward, in economics we get taught that reward is its own virtue.
9. When you get drunk, you can tell everyone that you are just researching the law of diminishing marginal utility.
10. When you call 1-900-LUV-ECON and get Kandi Keynes, you will have something to talk about.
(Source: JokEc)
Friday 6 July 2007
How to reduce crime Part 2.
It is quite disheartening to read today's news in the Brudirect regarding students' involvement in criminal activities. I believe it is not the job of the police alone to reduce and prevent such activities happening (which are alarmingly increasing). And I also do not agree that we should totally rely on the parents of these teenage delinquencies to perform the 'correct' parenting roles as according to the police supt.:
"The majority of cases that involve students are from broken homes and those who are gullible and easily influenced by friends."
My interpretation of 'broken home' here is a family who do not live in an environment where children can grow up healthily (mentally and physically). You see, the most important years of a human's life are the first three. During these years, skills such as communication, empathy, compromise and recognising good and bad are developed, which will help the children to make good (and bad) decisions later in their lives. Children who come from 'broken families' are hardly exposed to such skills. Worse, if any of their parents or family-members are involved in criminal activities, then the likelihood for these children to be involved in the same activities are high.
For this reason, I believe it is now time for Brunei to think outside the box and adopt a more holistic approach involving not only the police, but also education, health and social care. Early years initiatives perhaps can be offered to help support the PARENTS who have criminal records, who are unemployed and teenage parents (which I blogged a few days ago) who I believe have greater risks of not performing the 'correct' parenting roles. Supports such as regular social-care visits, counselling and/or financially should be looked into. I also think that it is imperative for the relevant government agencies (not only the police) to play an ACTIVE role in identifying the 'high risk' parents and their children and to give the proper supports in order to prevent future criminal conducts (made by those children).
Echoing what I said in my previous blog about teenage parents, I believe the first measure to future crime prevention is to provide education to these young parents so that they and their children can have better future. And again please.....do it immediately.
Salaam.
"The majority of cases that involve students are from broken homes and those who are gullible and easily influenced by friends."
My interpretation of 'broken home' here is a family who do not live in an environment where children can grow up healthily (mentally and physically). You see, the most important years of a human's life are the first three. During these years, skills such as communication, empathy, compromise and recognising good and bad are developed, which will help the children to make good (and bad) decisions later in their lives. Children who come from 'broken families' are hardly exposed to such skills. Worse, if any of their parents or family-members are involved in criminal activities, then the likelihood for these children to be involved in the same activities are high.
For this reason, I believe it is now time for Brunei to think outside the box and adopt a more holistic approach involving not only the police, but also education, health and social care. Early years initiatives perhaps can be offered to help support the PARENTS who have criminal records, who are unemployed and teenage parents (which I blogged a few days ago) who I believe have greater risks of not performing the 'correct' parenting roles. Supports such as regular social-care visits, counselling and/or financially should be looked into. I also think that it is imperative for the relevant government agencies (not only the police) to play an ACTIVE role in identifying the 'high risk' parents and their children and to give the proper supports in order to prevent future criminal conducts (made by those children).
Echoing what I said in my previous blog about teenage parents, I believe the first measure to future crime prevention is to provide education to these young parents so that they and their children can have better future. And again please.....do it immediately.
Salaam.
Wednesday 4 July 2007
The employer speaks at last!
I am very pleased with the new JPA memo regarding external tea break during office hours. It is about time (and long overdue) that such activity be banned. I guess you don't need to be an economist to understand the benefit it will bring to the public sector. (Well, ironically it may hurt the private sector for a little while i.e. the restaurants being deprived of patrons). Perhaps we may see office food delivery service on the rise.
Another office rule that I believe should be implemented is to to limit the number of hours an office meeting should last. An officer may not be away from his/her office but is still impossible to find as he/she is ALWAYS in a meeting.
Salaam.
Another office rule that I believe should be implemented is to to limit the number of hours an office meeting should last. An officer may not be away from his/her office but is still impossible to find as he/she is ALWAYS in a meeting.
Salaam.
Thursday 28 June 2007
How to reduce crime and make poverty history in Brunei?
If someone were to ask me the above question, my answer would be EDUCATION. Specifically, by providing education to ALL.
I am sure that you and I agree that crime and education are related. People who have more education are generally less inclined to commit any crime and/or become really poor. Now, I am not addressing those who commit crime while they are still at school (although they can come later once they realize the mistake they make), rather those who are deprived of formal schooling due to other circumstances, such as teenage pregnancy, teenage marriage and early school-leavers. And what I mean by education (for now) is the chance for everyone to complete their PMBs, O levels and A levels.
It is really really sad that there are many out there who did not even finish their PMBs because of early pregnancy and/or early marriage (generally because of the former). I mean, what can they do with just Secondary 2 qualification? At Secondary 2, they were like 14 or 15 years old. Children. And these children are having children. How can they support their family? Yes, I know some people would say WHY got pregnant in the first place? But I also ask Can you UnDO it? Why dwell on the kids' mistakes? What good will it have? Nevermind that their teenagehood have been wiped out, let's not wipe out their future too.
It is in fact disturbing, as the trend of teenage pregnancy is rising over the years (refer Borneo Bulletin 19 April 2007). And what about those who did not get pregnant (or whose pregnancies were terminated i.e. miscarriages) but nevertheless were married at their teenage lives (I can assure you, it does happen to many).
I know this is a dilemma. By giving these teenage moms and dads free formal education can be interpreted as acceptance of pre-marriage pregnancy. But I also say by NOT giving them the education may negatively affect the lives of MANY future Bruneians. It will be a vicious circle: Teenage pregnancy leads to teenage marriage leads to being poor (no job/means to support the family) leads to crime leads to poor parenting quality leads to poor children upbringing and ON and ON and ON.
I think, whether we like it or not somebody has to address this issue seriously. For a rich and a small country like us, where high quality of human resources are scarce, we should give these teenage moms and dads the chance to finish their high school education either by allowing them to continue their studies in their former schools or a special school (special I mean a school that caters to their circumstances). I know that there are evening classes for the PMB and O levels but if I am not mistaken, the students still have to pay for the exams fees, which to me is a big disincentive. In fact, I believe what Brunei should do is to give some incentives for these teenage parents to complete their education.
No matter how Brunei wants to do it, I strongly believe it will be worthwhile. But I implore, please do something, for the sake of the unborn babies, who are our future generation. They deserve better lives.
Salaam.
ps. When's the next session of the state legislative council? Hope to see issues such as this and unemployment be thrashed out.
I am sure that you and I agree that crime and education are related. People who have more education are generally less inclined to commit any crime and/or become really poor. Now, I am not addressing those who commit crime while they are still at school (although they can come later once they realize the mistake they make), rather those who are deprived of formal schooling due to other circumstances, such as teenage pregnancy, teenage marriage and early school-leavers. And what I mean by education (for now) is the chance for everyone to complete their PMBs, O levels and A levels.
It is really really sad that there are many out there who did not even finish their PMBs because of early pregnancy and/or early marriage (generally because of the former). I mean, what can they do with just Secondary 2 qualification? At Secondary 2, they were like 14 or 15 years old. Children. And these children are having children. How can they support their family? Yes, I know some people would say WHY got pregnant in the first place? But I also ask Can you UnDO it? Why dwell on the kids' mistakes? What good will it have? Nevermind that their teenagehood have been wiped out, let's not wipe out their future too.
It is in fact disturbing, as the trend of teenage pregnancy is rising over the years (refer Borneo Bulletin 19 April 2007). And what about those who did not get pregnant (or whose pregnancies were terminated i.e. miscarriages) but nevertheless were married at their teenage lives (I can assure you, it does happen to many).
I know this is a dilemma. By giving these teenage moms and dads free formal education can be interpreted as acceptance of pre-marriage pregnancy. But I also say by NOT giving them the education may negatively affect the lives of MANY future Bruneians. It will be a vicious circle: Teenage pregnancy leads to teenage marriage leads to being poor (no job/means to support the family) leads to crime leads to poor parenting quality leads to poor children upbringing and ON and ON and ON.
I think, whether we like it or not somebody has to address this issue seriously. For a rich and a small country like us, where high quality of human resources are scarce, we should give these teenage moms and dads the chance to finish their high school education either by allowing them to continue their studies in their former schools or a special school (special I mean a school that caters to their circumstances). I know that there are evening classes for the PMB and O levels but if I am not mistaken, the students still have to pay for the exams fees, which to me is a big disincentive. In fact, I believe what Brunei should do is to give some incentives for these teenage parents to complete their education.
No matter how Brunei wants to do it, I strongly believe it will be worthwhile. But I implore, please do something, for the sake of the unborn babies, who are our future generation. They deserve better lives.
Salaam.
ps. When's the next session of the state legislative council? Hope to see issues such as this and unemployment be thrashed out.
Sunday 24 June 2007
China vs the World: What chance have we got then?
Read an article from FT about China making it hard for other developing countries:
"Being a developing country used to be easy. You followed leaders - Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea - up a well-trodden ladder from agriculture through manufacturing to services. Starting with tilling the soil, you moved on to turning out T-shirts, then toys, then tractors, then television sets, and ended up trading Treasuries.
The rise of China has made that less straightforward. Not only is the first rung harder to reach, thanks to the hundreds of millions of rural migrants to Chinese cities still willing to work for low wages stitching garments, but also exports of goods from China's coastal industrial fringe are rapidly becoming more sophisticated, threatening those halfway or more up the ladder. While the shoemakers of Italy and the steelmakers of Pennsylvania may complain loudly about Chinese competition, those with more to worry about are middle-income Asian countries geographically and econ-omically close to the Middle Kingdom."
It makes me wonder, have we got a chance?
Well, according to Dani Rodrik, Yes we do. All we need is an Industrial Policy for the Twenty First Century, if we want to stand a chance in the global competition:
"The right model for industrial policy is not that of an autonamous government applying Pigovian taxes or subsidies, but of strategic collaboration between the private sector and the government with the aim of uncovering where the most significant obstacles to restructuing lie and what type of interventions are most likely to remove them. Correspondingly, the analysis of industrial policy needs to focus not on the policy outcomes (which are unknowable ex ante) but on getting the policy process right."
It's a good paper (Rodrik's). Please read.
Salaam.
"Being a developing country used to be easy. You followed leaders - Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea - up a well-trodden ladder from agriculture through manufacturing to services. Starting with tilling the soil, you moved on to turning out T-shirts, then toys, then tractors, then television sets, and ended up trading Treasuries.
The rise of China has made that less straightforward. Not only is the first rung harder to reach, thanks to the hundreds of millions of rural migrants to Chinese cities still willing to work for low wages stitching garments, but also exports of goods from China's coastal industrial fringe are rapidly becoming more sophisticated, threatening those halfway or more up the ladder. While the shoemakers of Italy and the steelmakers of Pennsylvania may complain loudly about Chinese competition, those with more to worry about are middle-income Asian countries geographically and econ-omically close to the Middle Kingdom."
It makes me wonder, have we got a chance?
Well, according to Dani Rodrik, Yes we do. All we need is an Industrial Policy for the Twenty First Century, if we want to stand a chance in the global competition:
"The right model for industrial policy is not that of an autonamous government applying Pigovian taxes or subsidies, but of strategic collaboration between the private sector and the government with the aim of uncovering where the most significant obstacles to restructuing lie and what type of interventions are most likely to remove them. Correspondingly, the analysis of industrial policy needs to focus not on the policy outcomes (which are unknowable ex ante) but on getting the policy process right."
It's a good paper (Rodrik's). Please read.
Salaam.
Cartoon: Slate magazine
Tuesday 19 June 2007
Service with a Smile
This morning we had to fax the ‘mileage claim’ form to the RBA office in Brunei. It was actually my husband’s. We just found out that his airmiles from BWN to LHR, a trip he made in early April, had not been credited to his Royal Skies account. Actually I don’t really understand how this could have happened. When we checked his boarding pass, his Royal Skies numbers were clearly written and they surely must have also been in the RBA computer system. I just wonder, if the staffs handling the Royal Skies mileage award have to do their work manually i.e. checking for each name. Otherwise, I don’t understand how their computer system could possibly miss anyone…hmmm.
Anyway, speaking of our beloved national carrier, I hope they are currently improving their customer services (now with the new CEO). Not only their in cabin service (actually those flight stewards/stewardess are not bad) but also their ground service. You see, I have had quite a few unpleasant incidences with their ground staff (particularly those at the check-in counters). I don’t know for some reason, they look quite stressful and very rarely I get a ‘service with a smile’, be it in Brunei or in my current case, London. My husband always told me to make proper complaints, but then I brushed off the idea. I didn’t want anyone to get into trouble simply because they probably had a PMS or bad-hair day or a quarrel with their other-halves.
Anyway, we economists believe that Economics, to a large extent, is a study of incentives. So I would say the main reason why we don’t often get good customer services from some of the ground RBA staff is mainly because there is very little (monetary) incentive for them to do it (even though I notice that there is a form for customers to fill in to vote who his/her STAR staff or something. Now, has anyone actually filled those up?)
So I guess, it is up to the employer then in this case to give some incentives so that their staff will always give a ‘Service with a Smile’ to everyone and anyone (everytime) because hey! words of mouth can give greater rewards especially when there is competition.
Just to share you our story, many years ago, my husband and I made a trip to Singapore using SIA. On the way, it was raining heavily. When we landed and made our way to the baggage isle, our names were held up on a card. Then a lady, a SIA staff approached us (sorry lady, I don't remember your name). She explained that because it was raining and wet, our baggage could be damaged. Then somebody actually extracted our luggage for us! Then this lady gave us a phone number to call in case any of our stuff in the luggage was affected. When we checked, there was no damage, not even the exterior of our luggage! Now, THAT’s what I called ‘first class’ service! Oh, and we flew economy. And honestly, after what happened, we actually loved and flew many times with SIA.
Anyway, I hope one day I would be able to share you a similar ‘first class’ service from RBA….Who knows, we may probably experience it this coming July, from the London and/or Dubai ground staff hehehe…
Salaam.
Anyway, speaking of our beloved national carrier, I hope they are currently improving their customer services (now with the new CEO). Not only their in cabin service (actually those flight stewards/stewardess are not bad) but also their ground service. You see, I have had quite a few unpleasant incidences with their ground staff (particularly those at the check-in counters). I don’t know for some reason, they look quite stressful and very rarely I get a ‘service with a smile’, be it in Brunei or in my current case, London. My husband always told me to make proper complaints, but then I brushed off the idea. I didn’t want anyone to get into trouble simply because they probably had a PMS or bad-hair day or a quarrel with their other-halves.
Anyway, we economists believe that Economics, to a large extent, is a study of incentives. So I would say the main reason why we don’t often get good customer services from some of the ground RBA staff is mainly because there is very little (monetary) incentive for them to do it (even though I notice that there is a form for customers to fill in to vote who his/her STAR staff or something. Now, has anyone actually filled those up?)
So I guess, it is up to the employer then in this case to give some incentives so that their staff will always give a ‘Service with a Smile’ to everyone and anyone (everytime) because hey! words of mouth can give greater rewards especially when there is competition.
Just to share you our story, many years ago, my husband and I made a trip to Singapore using SIA. On the way, it was raining heavily. When we landed and made our way to the baggage isle, our names were held up on a card. Then a lady, a SIA staff approached us (sorry lady, I don't remember your name). She explained that because it was raining and wet, our baggage could be damaged. Then somebody actually extracted our luggage for us! Then this lady gave us a phone number to call in case any of our stuff in the luggage was affected. When we checked, there was no damage, not even the exterior of our luggage! Now, THAT’s what I called ‘first class’ service! Oh, and we flew economy. And honestly, after what happened, we actually loved and flew many times with SIA.
Anyway, I hope one day I would be able to share you a similar ‘first class’ service from RBA….Who knows, we may probably experience it this coming July, from the London and/or Dubai ground staff hehehe…
Salaam.
Friday 15 June 2007
Brunei-Singapore currency interchangeability: What have we got to lose?
It will be the 40th anniversary of the currency interchangeability. Now I know there are different views out there. Unfortunately, we don't have many evidence (in terms of research) to either strongly support or contest the agreement.
OK, let me try to enumerate the pros and cons of the current arrangement:
PROS:
1. Stable currency: Speculators would think twice to attack the currency as they have to contend with the combined reserves of 2 countries.
2. Minimal transaction cost between the 2 countries: Arguably this should lead to positive effect on the bilateral trade and investment (however, see CONS no.3)
3. The 'dutch disease' effect of 'oil' on Brunei economy is eliminated: The 'dutch disease' effect is working through the exchange rate where the inflow of oil money results in currency appreciation. Now, because Brunei does not manage the exchange rate (see CONS no. 1) then there is no 'dutch disease' effect.
4. Price stability (low inflation): Credit to Singapore, as they have been doing a very good job in maintaining low inflation.
CONS (for Brunei):
1. Loss of monetary power i.e. we can't use exchange rate as a policy instrument.
2. Some argued that because of 1, Brunei is not able to depreciate its currency in order to achieve price competitiveness. And this has a negative effect on the diversification effort. [But I say, what about the supply-side?i.e. would this ensure that there will be an increase domestic output for exports?]
3. Because of the differences in the structure of the 2 economies, (i.e. Singapore is a more advanced with a higher productivity economy) the minimal transaction cost resulted in making Singapore as the more attractive destination for investment flow from brunei (and not the other way around).
I guess an interesting research question is now: How big is then the benefit to Brunei?
Anyway if you're asking my opinion, I would say let's just maintain the union. But I also think that it's time that there are some Bruneians who are also involved in managing the currency. (Perhaps some Brunei representatives or seconded officers in MAS for hands-on experience, if we are not already doing that).
Oh well, this is just what I thought.
Salaam.
Ps. If anyone is interested, there is a paper by Chan and Ngiam (1992) in The Singapore Economic Review that talks about the currency interchangeability.
OK, let me try to enumerate the pros and cons of the current arrangement:
PROS:
1. Stable currency: Speculators would think twice to attack the currency as they have to contend with the combined reserves of 2 countries.
2. Minimal transaction cost between the 2 countries: Arguably this should lead to positive effect on the bilateral trade and investment (however, see CONS no.3)
3. The 'dutch disease' effect of 'oil' on Brunei economy is eliminated: The 'dutch disease' effect is working through the exchange rate where the inflow of oil money results in currency appreciation. Now, because Brunei does not manage the exchange rate (see CONS no. 1) then there is no 'dutch disease' effect.
4. Price stability (low inflation): Credit to Singapore, as they have been doing a very good job in maintaining low inflation.
CONS (for Brunei):
1. Loss of monetary power i.e. we can't use exchange rate as a policy instrument.
2. Some argued that because of 1, Brunei is not able to depreciate its currency in order to achieve price competitiveness. And this has a negative effect on the diversification effort. [But I say, what about the supply-side?i.e. would this ensure that there will be an increase domestic output for exports?]
3. Because of the differences in the structure of the 2 economies, (i.e. Singapore is a more advanced with a higher productivity economy) the minimal transaction cost resulted in making Singapore as the more attractive destination for investment flow from brunei (and not the other way around).
I guess an interesting research question is now: How big is then the benefit to Brunei?
Anyway if you're asking my opinion, I would say let's just maintain the union. But I also think that it's time that there are some Bruneians who are also involved in managing the currency. (Perhaps some Brunei representatives or seconded officers in MAS for hands-on experience, if we are not already doing that).
Oh well, this is just what I thought.
Salaam.
Ps. If anyone is interested, there is a paper by Chan and Ngiam (1992) in The Singapore Economic Review that talks about the currency interchangeability.
Monday 11 June 2007
MBA vs PhD
For those of you who are contemplating to do a PhD in economics, think twice! This is what Grew Mankiw wrote in his blog regarding MBA vs PhD:
Ooppss! What have I got myself into?
But they also say "PhDs rule, MBAs manage" hehehe.
Salaam.
Ps. No matter what, I hope I'll get out of here, alive!
I believe that from a purely financial standpoint, an MBA is a better
investment than a PhD. An MBA is only a two-year program, whereas a PhD is
typically four to six years. The extra time for a PhD probably not yield the
extra income needed to make it a good investment of your time. A typical Harvard MBA gets a starting
salary a bit over $100K; the typical econ
PhD does not start much higher than that.
But the issue is not entirely pecuniary. The question you should be asking
yourself is what kind of job you want to have when you conclude your education.
A PhD makes sense if you want to consider the possibility of being an academic.
You may pursue a PhD and then decide along the way to pursue a different path
than being a professor. That is okay: Many PhD students leave for the private
sector when they are done with their degrees, and they get very good jobs there.
But if you are sure from the beginning that you want some kind of private-sector
job, then the MBA is probably the better route.
Ooppss! What have I got myself into?
But they also say "PhDs rule, MBAs manage" hehehe.
Salaam.
Ps. No matter what, I hope I'll get out of here, alive!
Saturday 9 June 2007
Asians vs Non-Asians
I remember a couple of months ago, my colleagues (a Thai and a Mexican) and I had a conversation about the difference between Asians and Non-Asians. It all started when I asked a question related to my research. Since none of us knew the 'real' answer, my Mexican friend told me to ask my supervisor. Then I said I would try my best to find out myself before I bring it to my supervisor. It struck me then and there the difference between Asians and non-Asians. And that is Asians seldom want to ask questions straightaway, call it shy or whatever, but that's what I usually notice (including myself, that is!). And my Thai friend agreed with me. He said there was something about our culture and the way we were taught that didn't encourage question askings.
Well I don't know about you, but I agree with my friend. I remember when I was young (during primary school) we were always told to KEEP QUIET and were never encouraged to ask questions. There was one time when I was in Primary 2 (government school) and it was Maths class. I noticed my teacher was making a mistake in his calculation. So I put up my hand and told him his mistake. I think I remember vividly that my teacher was quite embarassed and he did't even thank me for pointing the mistake! I was 8 at that time. Since then, I just kept quiet whenever I noticed any teacher made a mistake (which were quiet A LOT! including the calculation of exam marks in the report card).
Furthermore, at home, my late mom who was a very traditional malay mom, would remind us not to ask any question or interrupt any conversation, whenever our aunties and uncles came to visit us. We were also not encouraged to give our view as the idea was adults-know-better-so-children-don't-try-to-be-smart.
I guess it all boils down to our education (formal and informal). We were not trained to explore. In terms of informal education (at home), I guess there has been some improvement. Nowadays, children asking parents are no longer a taboo (well at least in my family). However, I slightly worry about our formal education (I hope I'm wrong) because I seldom got a lot of questions from my students (during my time as a lecturer at UBD a couple of years back).
For the sake of the current and certainly, the future Brunei generation, please please please improve our school teachings particularly at the primary level. Let the children ask, ponder and think for themselves!
Salaam.
Well I don't know about you, but I agree with my friend. I remember when I was young (during primary school) we were always told to KEEP QUIET and were never encouraged to ask questions. There was one time when I was in Primary 2 (government school) and it was Maths class. I noticed my teacher was making a mistake in his calculation. So I put up my hand and told him his mistake. I think I remember vividly that my teacher was quite embarassed and he did't even thank me for pointing the mistake! I was 8 at that time. Since then, I just kept quiet whenever I noticed any teacher made a mistake (which were quiet A LOT! including the calculation of exam marks in the report card).
Furthermore, at home, my late mom who was a very traditional malay mom, would remind us not to ask any question or interrupt any conversation, whenever our aunties and uncles came to visit us. We were also not encouraged to give our view as the idea was adults-know-better-so-children-don't-try-to-be-smart.
I guess it all boils down to our education (formal and informal). We were not trained to explore. In terms of informal education (at home), I guess there has been some improvement. Nowadays, children asking parents are no longer a taboo (well at least in my family). However, I slightly worry about our formal education (I hope I'm wrong) because I seldom got a lot of questions from my students (during my time as a lecturer at UBD a couple of years back).
For the sake of the current and certainly, the future Brunei generation, please please please improve our school teachings particularly at the primary level. Let the children ask, ponder and think for themselves!
Salaam.
Wednesday 6 June 2007
Time for Brunei Oil Fund A.S.A.P
Ok. I read this article from Slate which is about Norway oil fund (for the full article please click here) which I believe that Brunei SHOULD follow suit (if Brunei hasn't, that is).
Now, their fund is worth "about $311 billion—or about $67,000 per Norwegian. With a 40 percent allocation in stocks, the fund owns more than $120 billion in shares around the globe".
Let's learn from the mistake made by the Saudis:
And let's pray that Brunei oil NEVER runs dry....
Salaam.
"Less than 20 years after they started producing oil, the Norwegians realized
their geological good luck would only be temporary. In 1990, the nation's
parliament set up the Petroleum Fund of Norway to function as a fiscal shock
absorber. Run under the auspices of the country's central bank, the
fund, like the Alaska Fund, converts petrodollars into stocks and bonds. But
instead of paying dividends, it uses revenues and appreciation to ensure the
equitable distribution of wealth across generations."
Now, their fund is worth "about $311 billion—or about $67,000 per Norwegian. With a 40 percent allocation in stocks, the fund owns more than $120 billion in shares around the globe".
Let's learn from the mistake made by the Saudis:
"the richest oil nation on earth still resembles a garden-variety poor
country: a 25 percent unemployment rate, tremendous inequality of wealth and
assets, a massive public debt, and an undiversified economy dependent on
commodity exports."
And let's pray that Brunei oil NEVER runs dry....
Salaam.
Sunday 3 June 2007
Work Abroad vs Brain Drain
The other day a friend was asking me what I thought about Bruneians working abroad. From our conversation it appears that many Bruneians oppose the very idea of people leaving their families back home (note the reason!) and of course there is also an issue of brain drain.
Well, it is complicated. And I have 2 sets of answers:
If you are asking me as a worker, my answer to that would be Why Not? If it (working abroad) can increase my welfare and that of my family's then I would not hesitate to work abroad.
[And my view is that if you answer NO to working abroad because you don't want to leave your family, despite no job back home while an opportunity abroad is available, then it is another example of mind-set problem of Bruneians]
If you are asking me as a policymaker, my answer would be 'it depends on WHO are working abroad'. There is obviously an issue of brain drain, defined as the emigration of trained and talented individuals to other nations. It is an economic issue because the (large) investment a nation puts in higher education is lost and it drains resources (human capital) from the home country. Countries such as China, India and even the UK are facing the economic consequences of brain drain of the educated and skilled workers.
Herein also lies the dilemma of being a small country where opportunities are also small.
I would say Brunei being a small country should keep its 'best and brightest' at home and at the same time facilitate others who want to work abroad with a ready policy that will ensure the return of these workers. You see, brain drain aside, returning emigrant workers can have positive effect on the development of a country. Research (see Kapur and McHale, 2005) shows that returnees generally have higher entrepreneurship skill, higher saving, better ideas and so on than those who are at home of the same skill. And I would like to stress again that Brunei SHOULD have a policy or an effective 'entice return' policy if it must encourage Bruneians to go abroad, in order to reap the benefits of their 'foreign skills'.
And then there is also a role of the 'Diasporas' which according to an article from Science and Development Network:
To conclude, there is actually no easy answer to this. While working abroad may perhaps alleviate the problem of unemployment, it comes with a great cost to the nation itself because fundamentally, a country needs (local) talents to ensure innovations, build institutions and implement programmes. Of course someone would argue that talents can be imported but then would it be the same? No matter what, good policies must be at hands in order to ensure the gains would be greater than the cost.
I recommend the book "Give us Your Best and Brightest: The Global Hunt for Talent and Its Impact on the Developing World" by Devesh Kapur and John McHale, for those who are interested in the issue of brain drain and those involve in the policymaking:
Salaam.
Well, it is complicated. And I have 2 sets of answers:
If you are asking me as a worker, my answer to that would be Why Not? If it (working abroad) can increase my welfare and that of my family's then I would not hesitate to work abroad.
[And my view is that if you answer NO to working abroad because you don't want to leave your family, despite no job back home while an opportunity abroad is available, then it is another example of mind-set problem of Bruneians]
If you are asking me as a policymaker, my answer would be 'it depends on WHO are working abroad'. There is obviously an issue of brain drain, defined as the emigration of trained and talented individuals to other nations. It is an economic issue because the (large) investment a nation puts in higher education is lost and it drains resources (human capital) from the home country. Countries such as China, India and even the UK are facing the economic consequences of brain drain of the educated and skilled workers.
Herein also lies the dilemma of being a small country where opportunities are also small.
I would say Brunei being a small country should keep its 'best and brightest' at home and at the same time facilitate others who want to work abroad with a ready policy that will ensure the return of these workers. You see, brain drain aside, returning emigrant workers can have positive effect on the development of a country. Research (see Kapur and McHale, 2005) shows that returnees generally have higher entrepreneurship skill, higher saving, better ideas and so on than those who are at home of the same skill. And I would like to stress again that Brunei SHOULD have a policy or an effective 'entice return' policy if it must encourage Bruneians to go abroad, in order to reap the benefits of their 'foreign skills'.
And then there is also a role of the 'Diasporas' which according to an article from Science and Development Network:
With rapid improvements in communications technologies, highly skilled
migrants can help their countries even when remaining abroad, by maintaining
links with industry and research at home. Known as scientific diasporas,
this is
a relatively new trend – and hints at a reversal, or transformation,
that many
believe smacks more of 'gain' than 'drain'.
To conclude, there is actually no easy answer to this. While working abroad may perhaps alleviate the problem of unemployment, it comes with a great cost to the nation itself because fundamentally, a country needs (local) talents to ensure innovations, build institutions and implement programmes. Of course someone would argue that talents can be imported but then would it be the same? No matter what, good policies must be at hands in order to ensure the gains would be greater than the cost.
I recommend the book "Give us Your Best and Brightest: The Global Hunt for Talent and Its Impact on the Developing World" by Devesh Kapur and John McHale, for those who are interested in the issue of brain drain and those involve in the policymaking:
Salaam.
Friday 1 June 2007
Jerudong Park, revive please....
As this week is the school mid-term break, we brought our girls to Legoland a few days ago. The weather was miserable (as usual) and we stayed overnight in one of the nearby hotels. All in all we spent like 350pounds (hotel+tickets+souvenirs+food+car fuel). And...my husband and I agree that Jerudong Park was a LOT better than Legoland.
I think a lot of people ask the same question, what happened to JP?? We had some really good rides both for adults and children. And the garden was fantastic! Personally, I think if we really want our tourism industry to grow fast, somebody has to revive the JP. Perhaps a new management and serious re-branding (actually I'm not even sure if we had a brand last time!). If JP gets its fame and glory back, just imagine the spin-off effect that it can create. The hotel occupancy, the food business, transportation and most of all the employment that it will create. I don't really know the mechanics of the amusement park industry but according to Forbes, it is big business, with a worldwide revenue of $US19 billion in 2001:
I think a lot of people ask the same question, what happened to JP?? We had some really good rides both for adults and children. And the garden was fantastic! Personally, I think if we really want our tourism industry to grow fast, somebody has to revive the JP. Perhaps a new management and serious re-branding (actually I'm not even sure if we had a brand last time!). If JP gets its fame and glory back, just imagine the spin-off effect that it can create. The hotel occupancy, the food business, transportation and most of all the employment that it will create. I don't really know the mechanics of the amusement park industry but according to Forbes, it is big business, with a worldwide revenue of $US19 billion in 2001:
"One reason parks are multiplying so quickly is because
they're big business. The average price of a one-day ticket is around $25.
Multiply that by a family of four and add Grandma and Grandpa, overpriced
food, plush-toy souvenirs, mouse ears and perhaps a night or two in a
hotel...and you're looking at some serious dough."
I guess it is not a cheap business and perhaps in our case, in might be a complicated business. But then I am also thinking what a waste .... of time , effort and money spent. It's not as if we have to build it from scratch (I mean I would probably think the possibility of building it if we didn't have it!) we probably need help from people who are in this business and obviously need to spend (lots of) money to give JP some very effective CPR.
Some people would probably argue, why built it in the first place? But it is built! There's nothing you can do to un-build it. (Even if it wasn't built, Why NOT?) So, why not take the advantage and try make some money out of it? I don't know, why not privatise it? Everywhere people talk about niche, well...THIS is our NICHE. Tell me, where can you find another amusement park in the region that can rival our old JP? Even Legoland cannot compete with the old JP. If old JP is back, I am also sure that the attractiveness of Brunei as the next family vacation destination in the south east asian region will definitely be the envy of other competing destinations. Surely, family vacation makes up a large chunk of leisure travel. In the US, for example, family vacation makes up about 70% of total leisure travel. Otherwise, let's just pray that there are lots (millions please) of backpackers, nature-lovers and foreign pensioners who pick up Brunei brochure...*hehe*
If Brunei were to spend money to restore and perhaps even improve JP, I have a strong believe that it will be money well spent! However, I would like to stress the importance of a serious re-branding (not merely having some people wear some animal costumes that actually look scary and some clowns who don't play any trick, that walk around and make children cry...sorry, I don't mean to be patronizing but that was the scene the last time we visited JP, a year ago). With an exciting image, fantastic rides, yummy food, good entertainment both for me and my children and beautiful musical fountain garden, hey! I wouldn't mind spending a few hundred dollars staying in a nearby hotel and get 2-day family pass, in the next Brunei school holidays! And I'm sure a few hundred parents (in Brunei alone) wouldn't mind doing the same thing too!
Brunei Yakin!
Salaam.
Tuesday 29 May 2007
Book: The Malay Dilemma
I would like to recommend a book by Dr Mahathir Mohammad's The Malay Dilemma for those of you who are interested to think more. The issue of 'mind-set' I wrote in the last post, somehow is related to the many issues raised in that book. Don't just buy it, READ it! It's a thought-provoking book and I think every Malay should read.
Monday 28 May 2007
Brunei Dilemma
In my earlier post 'Unemployment, is it really a Problem?' I wrote that 'Brunei is facing a larger problem and that is the 'mind-set' problem.'
You see, Brunei is unique. I have a strong feeling that the general definition of unemployment in Brunei is 'those who don't work in the government sector or BSP or big banks'. You maybe disaggree but don't you always hear these statements:
"Anakku keraja di company, iatah mun dapat keraja d kerajaan, bisai.."; and
" I am applying to so and so department, in the mean time I'm working in company x"; and
" I would like to work in this company, unfortunately my parents don't let me and want me to work in the government" (this is a real line made by 1 of my husband's x-local staff; and
How many times have you read in the Brudirect Have Your Say, people are accusing certain government departments as being 'croynism' and 'nepotism' because they are being turned down;
And so on and on and on....
It seems that, people don't consider they have a 'proper job' whenever they work in the private sector. Why? Isn't brick-laying or serving in a restaurant or being a receptionist in a company, a job? I am sure a great many of you will answer "It's not the same....and it's not fair..people who are working in the government have high pay, have lots of benefits etc etc".
Fair enough I said. BUT my question is, is it still not a job? Won't it put food on the table?
This is precisely the mind-set problem that Brunei is currently facing. Nothing new to many of us but to me the number 1 cuplrit in the issue of Brunei so-called 'unemployment'.
On the other hand, there are of course thousands out there who really are looking for jobs but don't find one. Yet, we see thousands of foreign workers working as cashiers, sales persons, waiters etc. A large blame has also been put on the employers for doing this. Now, my question is should we really blame them?
You see, I believe the 'mind-set' problem's perfect partner in crime is the 'attitude' problem. And this attitude problem is actually an even a larger problem to solve. While the 'mind-set problem' will be instantly solved once the person finds a job in the government sector, the 'attitude' problem might not (and sometime would get even worse). [Anyway, this post is about mind-set so, a whole new post should be dedicated to the 'attitude' problem of the locals]
WHAT SHOULD WE DO then? You ask.
Now, I've thought of a number of ways to answer this question. (I've even listed a number of strategies hahaha) But I ask myself, WHO am I? Plus it could (probably) put me into trouble.
Well, to me there is no easy and straight-forward answer to this. The strategies should be multi-level for different groups of people. Education, for example, can be the main strategy to change the mind-set of the future generation. National campaigns, perhaps can be launched to change the mind-set of the older generation(the parents who think that there is no job, but government job) and the current job-seekers.
By now, I'm sure you are still going to ask 'What about the remuneration GAP between the public and private sector?'
My answer would be this: The gap for now will still exist. You can't just simply cut down people's salary in the public sector. On the other hand, you can't just simply ask the private sector to increase their salary. As an economist, I would also say that your earning would eventually depend on your productivity i.e. the more productive you are, the more you will earn. And I have seen many examples where people who have lower starting earning (mostly in the private sector) have now out-performed (and earn more) their peers (mostly in the government sector) in terms of productivity and wealth (i.e. in terms of borrowing less).
I would however also like to add that I think it is high time that somebody takes up the 'remuneration gap' issue seriously. Maybe not the difference in salary 'per se' because as I said you can't just simply adjust the salary. But in terms of other 'equal' opportunities. I don't know, but at the top of my head now is the opportunity to upgrade one's qualification, especially in the university and graduate level. For instance, there should be a mean/ public agency where locals who work in the private sector could get the (financial) assisstance to upgrade him/herself (OTHER THAN BANKS of course!). While government employees have the JPA in-service scheme, where can the private employees go to? Yes, the MOE does offer a scholarship scheme to locals but it only caters to young people (up to the age of 30). And what about other skills? So, where can the rest go? (I am thinking of something in the line of interest-free education loan or maybe subsidy to private employers etc.). It is afterall, human investment and will be highly related to higher labour productivity! And I think it is also equally important that Brunei should create local expertise not only in the public sector, but also in the private sector, especially so if we want the private sector to be the 'engine of growth'.
Oh! there goes my afternoon... To end, I think the mind-set problem is the cause of a real dilemma for Brunei unemployment problem. On the one hand, you want to solve just simply by creating as many jobs (in the government sector) as you can but it means the locals won't learn and won't recognize that there is a problem i.e. they won't change. On the other hand, you can't just leave the matter and hope that people will 'eventually' change. Afterall, unemployment is still a problem and needs to be properly addressed. And it is complicated! And that is why I believe everyone should work together to solve this dilemma. Policies and efforts must be syncronized with one another. Public and private must work hand in hand.
Oh Dear! What do I know? I'm just a mommy of 2. Enough thoughts for today!
Salaam.
ps. You can be sure that my husband and I are grooming our children to enter the private sector, which we believe have A LOT MORE to offer : ).
You see, Brunei is unique. I have a strong feeling that the general definition of unemployment in Brunei is 'those who don't work in the government sector or BSP or big banks'. You maybe disaggree but don't you always hear these statements:
"Anakku keraja di company, iatah mun dapat keraja d kerajaan, bisai.."; and
" I am applying to so and so department, in the mean time I'm working in company x"; and
" I would like to work in this company, unfortunately my parents don't let me and want me to work in the government" (this is a real line made by 1 of my husband's x-local staff; and
How many times have you read in the Brudirect Have Your Say, people are accusing certain government departments as being 'croynism' and 'nepotism' because they are being turned down;
And so on and on and on....
It seems that, people don't consider they have a 'proper job' whenever they work in the private sector. Why? Isn't brick-laying or serving in a restaurant or being a receptionist in a company, a job? I am sure a great many of you will answer "It's not the same....and it's not fair..people who are working in the government have high pay, have lots of benefits etc etc".
Fair enough I said. BUT my question is, is it still not a job? Won't it put food on the table?
This is precisely the mind-set problem that Brunei is currently facing. Nothing new to many of us but to me the number 1 cuplrit in the issue of Brunei so-called 'unemployment'.
On the other hand, there are of course thousands out there who really are looking for jobs but don't find one. Yet, we see thousands of foreign workers working as cashiers, sales persons, waiters etc. A large blame has also been put on the employers for doing this. Now, my question is should we really blame them?
You see, I believe the 'mind-set' problem's perfect partner in crime is the 'attitude' problem. And this attitude problem is actually an even a larger problem to solve. While the 'mind-set problem' will be instantly solved once the person finds a job in the government sector, the 'attitude' problem might not (and sometime would get even worse). [Anyway, this post is about mind-set so, a whole new post should be dedicated to the 'attitude' problem of the locals]
WHAT SHOULD WE DO then? You ask.
Now, I've thought of a number of ways to answer this question. (I've even listed a number of strategies hahaha) But I ask myself, WHO am I? Plus it could (probably) put me into trouble.
Well, to me there is no easy and straight-forward answer to this. The strategies should be multi-level for different groups of people. Education, for example, can be the main strategy to change the mind-set of the future generation. National campaigns, perhaps can be launched to change the mind-set of the older generation(the parents who think that there is no job, but government job) and the current job-seekers.
By now, I'm sure you are still going to ask 'What about the remuneration GAP between the public and private sector?'
My answer would be this: The gap for now will still exist. You can't just simply cut down people's salary in the public sector. On the other hand, you can't just simply ask the private sector to increase their salary. As an economist, I would also say that your earning would eventually depend on your productivity i.e. the more productive you are, the more you will earn. And I have seen many examples where people who have lower starting earning (mostly in the private sector) have now out-performed (and earn more) their peers (mostly in the government sector) in terms of productivity and wealth (i.e. in terms of borrowing less).
I would however also like to add that I think it is high time that somebody takes up the 'remuneration gap' issue seriously. Maybe not the difference in salary 'per se' because as I said you can't just simply adjust the salary. But in terms of other 'equal' opportunities. I don't know, but at the top of my head now is the opportunity to upgrade one's qualification, especially in the university and graduate level. For instance, there should be a mean/ public agency where locals who work in the private sector could get the (financial) assisstance to upgrade him/herself (OTHER THAN BANKS of course!). While government employees have the JPA in-service scheme, where can the private employees go to? Yes, the MOE does offer a scholarship scheme to locals but it only caters to young people (up to the age of 30). And what about other skills? So, where can the rest go? (I am thinking of something in the line of interest-free education loan or maybe subsidy to private employers etc.). It is afterall, human investment and will be highly related to higher labour productivity! And I think it is also equally important that Brunei should create local expertise not only in the public sector, but also in the private sector, especially so if we want the private sector to be the 'engine of growth'.
Oh! there goes my afternoon... To end, I think the mind-set problem is the cause of a real dilemma for Brunei unemployment problem. On the one hand, you want to solve just simply by creating as many jobs (in the government sector) as you can but it means the locals won't learn and won't recognize that there is a problem i.e. they won't change. On the other hand, you can't just leave the matter and hope that people will 'eventually' change. Afterall, unemployment is still a problem and needs to be properly addressed. And it is complicated! And that is why I believe everyone should work together to solve this dilemma. Policies and efforts must be syncronized with one another. Public and private must work hand in hand.
Oh Dear! What do I know? I'm just a mommy of 2. Enough thoughts for today!
Salaam.
ps. You can be sure that my husband and I are grooming our children to enter the private sector, which we believe have A LOT MORE to offer : ).
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