Opening Keynote Address by
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia
Dato Paduka Haji Mohammad Yusof, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
at the
Local Business Development Program 2019 "The Next Level:
How to Leverage the Digital Revolution"
on
24 Muharram 1441 / 25 September 2019
Indera Samudra Grand Hall
The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Jerudong
Yang
Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Dr. Abdul Fattaah ibni Duli Yang Teramat Mulia
Paduka Seri Pengiran Perdana Wazir Sahibul Himmah Wal-Waqar Pengiran
Muda Mohamed Bolkiah, Chairman, Baiduri Bank;
Yang Mulia Dato Paduka Awang Timothy Ong, Chairman, Asia Inc Forum;
Permanent
Secretaries, Deputy Permanent Secretaries, Chief Executives, invited
speakers, Friends from the media, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and
Gentlemen;
Assalamualaikum Warah Matullahi Wabarakatuh and good morning.
1.
First and foremost, I wish to thank Asia Inc Forum for the very kind
invitation for me to speak at this 13th Local Business Development
Forum regarding "Brunei Darussalam's Journey Towards a Smart Nation". It
is certainly encouraging and timely for this forum today to further
stimulate ideas and improve business insights amongst local industry and
corporate leaders in light of the digital revolution that is happening
now.
2. Let me first share with
you some facts and figures that will give you a context on how Brunei
Darussalam is embracing and getting geared up for the digital
revolution.
No. 1 – There are 134 mobile phone users for every 100 population in Brunei Darussalam.
No. 2 - Nearly 90% of those are using smart phones or devices.
No. 3 – More than 40% of businesses are found to fully capitalize on ICT.
3.
Now I know that most of us here may have heard of these figures before,
but I would like to reiterate that they are actually relatable facts to
us. I am in a room filled with budding entrepreneurs who are raring to
progress further by leveraging on digital technologies. The numbers I
have just quoted are not just your customers, but they are in actual
fact, as your potential platform to go beyond.
Ladies and gentlemen,
4.
Let us now look at a bigger picture. For ASEAN in particular,
embracing digital technology could prove to be key to a more dynamic,
networked and innovative region by 2025. The changing landscape of
the ICT sector signals a direction towards further innovation
and digital transformation. As we have been made to understand, an
ASEAN Digital Masterplan
2025 is
expected to be launched by the end of this year. It is certainly hoped
that with such focus and thematic initiatives, it will drive new
economic activities as well as to realise the full potential of ASEAN.
5.
In line with this ASEAN Digital Agenda, Brunei Darussalam has also
geared up on its very own Digital Transformation policy initiatives. Our
digital transformation journey started nearly 20 years ago in the year
2000 when the Brunei IT Council (BIT Council) under the steer of
the Ministry of Communications then, embarked on a digitization plan
for the nation.
6. Today, the
journey still continues and evolves and I am pleased to share some of
the recent significant milestones in our National Digital
Transformation Agenda. A key starting milestone was the
rebranding of the Ministry of Communications to be renamed as the
Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) effective 15th
December 2018. This new policy initiative highlights MTIC's commitments
to ensure the increasing needs and expectations of the Transport and
Infocommunications sectors are well taken into consideration for a
more focused, industry driven development, to accelerate Brunei
Darussalam towards the status of a Smart Nation.
7.
This is in line with profound observations by His Majesty the Sultan
and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on the development of the
digital industry. In a series of His Majesty's Titahs, His Majesty has
also emphasized on the need to explore the Digital Economy and for the
participation of all stakeholders, be it the public or private
sector, the whole society, the academia and graduates to come
together in mobilizing a knowledge-based nation.
8.
More recently, in His Majesty's Titah of 15th July 2019, consented to
the formation of the Digital Economy Council (DEC). His Majesty further
stated that a Digital Economy masterplan is being enacted for the
purpose of making this country a Smart Nation.
9.
Taking over the previous role of the Brunei IT Council, the key
objective of this new Council is to give strategic drive and leadership
on digital policies and initiatives at the national level. This Council
is currently being co-spearheaded by the Minister at the Prime
Ministers' Office and the Second Minister of Finance and Economy,
and the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications. Members to the
DEC amongst others comprise of several Ministers, members of the
Legislative Council and local industry leaders. In line with His
Majesty's Titah, I am pleased to inform that the Ministry in
collaboration with the Council are currently charting a draft Digital
Economy Master Plan as well as a draft Smart Nation Roadmap
for Brunei Darussalam.
10. This is
where the engagement from all stakeholders on a 'Whole of Nation'
approach, including the private sector is very crucial. In this regard,
I am also very pleased to share that the secretariat of the Digital
Economy Council recently held its first Retreat which brought together
government and private sector agencies to share and deliberate their
respective initiatives as input to the draft Digital Economy Master
Plan.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
11.
In exploring the potentials of the Digital Economy, we are faced with
new challenges that requires new approaches. One of the challenges is on
Digital Divide. According to the ITU State of Broadband 2019 report, a
"second level digital divide" whereby gaps continue to exist, even
after infrastructural access is addressed. These gaps referred to
other embedded structures such as limitations in skills, literacy, user
empowerment and availability of relevant content.
12.
Hence, this is where local businesses can actually play a very
important role in complementing the efforts of the Government in
addressing such gaps. By offering more services and products
via digital technologies, this can be the motivation to generate new
interests and sustain users' participation in the Digital Economy.
13.
In further reducing the apparent gaps in Digital affordability and
accessibility, in February 2019 the Government announced the
consolidation of the network infrastructure of all existing
telecommunication operators in the country under a newly formed company
called Unified National Networks Sdn Bhd (UNN). With this new
policy development, the ICT industry is on its way to provide a more
competitive and innovative packages of services; spurring the
development of Brunei's ICT sector which is critical to creating an
ecosystem to support the digital economy and ultimately the country's
digital transformation.
14. In this
regard, it is imperative that we prepare our business community and also
the government to be ready and well- equipped for the digital economy.
What we want at the end of the day would be as follows:
i) to use digital technologies in order to create new opportunities for businesses and our people;
ii) what we need to do in terms of regulatory and physical infrastructure to support the transformation of the sector;
iii) we need to be inclusive where everyone can participate in the opportunities of the digital economy; and
iv)
cybersecurity, where trust is vital especially for personal data
protection. In this regard, coordinated efforts amongst the relevant
agencies are currently in progress to set up a national cyber-security
agency in Brunei Darussalam.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
15.
I would now like to share some perspective on future technologies
and what policy initiatives are currently being done. On 5G
readiness - The Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry
(AITI) has just completed its study on our nation's readiness to
embrace 5G as the technology of tomorrow.
16. A set of policy recommendations from this 5G Study including market, regulatory and network operator readiness,
5G
pilot projects, amongst others, has been endorsed and will be
implemented in due course. In this regard, MTIC certainly welcomes the
participation of the industry in the 5G pilot trials, or other pilot
smart projects that will help in accelerating our national digital
transformation agenda.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
17. Before
concluding, I would like to encourage all of you here to explore
avenues on how we can work together from a Whole of Nation perspective.
It is through this collaboration that we can only become a smart nation
empowered by a digital economy!
18.
Lastly, I wish to again extend my sincere gratitude to Asia Inc Forum
and all its partners for convening today's forum. My thanks also go out
to all our guest speakers and I wish you all a most enjoyable and
productive forum!
Thank you. Terima Kasih.
Wabillahi Taufik Walhidayah Assalamualaikum Warahmahtullahi Wabarakatuh.
