Apparently our local youths still think that it is their given birth right to work in the government sector (here for full news). Oh perhaps, their life is still full of roses that having no job is better than having a low-paying job in the private sector.
To solve this dilemma, here’s a thought. Considering the government sector is already saturated (or so as I was told) i.e. it can no longer employ the whole 6000 job-seekers (and it shouldn’t be!), there should be some mechanism in place that should stop the idea that everyone can get a government job. And at the same time, make people value their private sector job or at least stick to their private sector job until their contract ends (with good behaviour). So I say, increase the level of qualification requirement and make ‘private sector employment’ a pre-requisite to the ‘popular’ public sector job.
Now, with regard to the ‘elaun sara hidup’, I think it’s either we scrap it off OR give to ALL Bruneians, fair and square (after all everyone is doing their bits to develop the country, regardless of the sector, no?)
Salaam.
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3 comments:
As part of the local youths, I think that we are in fact getting better, slowly moving away from the must-work-in-the-government mentality.
Besides the fact that more of us youths seem to be grabbing more and more positions in the private sector, though not at a rate as quick as you'd probably want, the availability of entrepreneurship-encouraging programmes by bodies such as LiveWIRE and ThinkBig might be another good indicator of a more positive-looking 'long-term', given how A LOT has participated in these programmes (I myself participated in LiveWIRE).
Thus, you're probably expressing a somewhat stereotypical view of us youths.
Anyway, a note I'd like to point out is that, undergraduates who have been unable to get jobs in the government sector could be likely to be the ones suffering the most. Compared to less-achieving youths, the undergraduates who have worked relatively harder (for their degrees) would be more reluctant to settle in the private sector (known for the lesser perks and lower pay) than those who never went on to university (or even sixth form). In other words, the less-achieving ones might be more likely to say, "I'll get whatever I can get," than the higher-achieving students.
My thoughts for possible solutions:
1. Cut back on government employees; minimize labor redundancies. As far as I know, in Brunei, the proportion of the working force that works in the government is probably as much as twice or thrice than those in developed economies like the US, UK and Japan. A likely outcome would be that the general work force would be more inclined than ever to think that government jobs are getting more and more difficult to get, and thus private sector jobs would be valued more.
2. Increase minimum wages on foreign workers so that foreign workers and local job seekers would appear as close as possible as close substitutes in the eyes of profit-maximizing firms.
3. Abolish, if not reduce, bureaucracy in government sectors related to the workings and setups of firms as well as on taxes on firms.
4. Provide benefits and incentives for firms to employ locals instead of foreigners, e.g. wage rebates (if there's such a thing), government subsidy on wages, etc.
I am fully aware that you are wiser than I am, especially in the subject of economics, but as part of the local youths, as a college student, I hope I'm voicing out the right opinions!
Correction: I meant to say 'university graduates', rather than 'undergraduates'.
With due respect to the Yang Berhormat Pehin (Minister of Home Affairs), I think the Borneo BULL report was OUTRIGHT INACCURATE!
The BB reporter should've double-checked his facts and figures with the right key senior Labour officer/s in charge. Just because a minister spoke, it doesn't mean that a news reporter should quote him verbatim. Even a minister is not perfect. Possibly, what could have gone wrong was either the Public Relations Officer in that particular ministry did not bother to issue an official Press Release or the department staff visited did not dare to correct the big boss in front of the press? The fact of the matter was that the total number of unemployed in the whole country now is much higher than 6,025 jobseekers! That figure was for the Brunei Muara District alone! In Belait, there are about 2,000 more jobseekers, not to mention in Tutong and Temburong Districts. And the figure could climb higher with the recent addition of 1,000-odd fresh UBD graduates entering the job market. And come early next year, hundreds of 'O' and 'A' level as well as PMB school leavers may join the fray plus ITB HND graduates and those who will complete their vocational and technical diplomas/certificates.
I know a UBD economics graduate who's doing research assistant's job in a small SME company for a meagre 600 dollar salary! Still she's not that picky because she said that she had achieved her dream to finish her degree a couple of years ago! SO ARE BRUNEIAN YOUTHS CHOOSY?! The GOVERNMENT MACHINERY AND NATIONAL SYSTEM NEEDS OVERHAULING TO ADDRESS THIS UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUE! :(
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