The Ministry of Communications was established in 1984 as Brunei Darussalam achieved full independence. At the beginning of the establishment, the Ministry of Communications was placed in the Secretariat Building, Bandar Seri Begawan, and later moved to the Brunei Telecommunication Department Building at Old Airport, Berakas, and lastly on 18th November 1999 to its permanent building located at Jalan Menteri Besar, Bandar Seri Begawan.
The Ministry of Communications has several Departments and Agencies that has been set up since the establishment of the Ministry, namely the Telecommunication Department, Postal Services Department, Department of Civil Aviation, Land Transport Department, Ports Department, and Marine Department.
Also included under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Communications is the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI), a Statutory Body established on 1st January 2003 under the AITI Order 2001 which is responsible for the regulation and development of the ICT sector in the country.
The establishment of AITI provided under the AITI Order 2001 is in line with the Government's policy for a regulatory body that will monitor the progress and development of the ICT industry. Thus, with the establishment of AITI, development in the ICT sector can be seen with the provision of ICT services provided competitively by the provider companies.
The Meteorological Department was originally a division known as the Meteorological Service Division established in 1966 under the Department of Civil Aviation. On 1st February 2013, the Meteorological Services Division was upgraded to a Department which is now known as Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department. Starting with the move, the Department is committed to a wider scope of responsibility in the provision of weather and climate services in Brunei Darussalam towards supporting activities and operations across various sectors including the economy.
In honor of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, from 28th September 2017, the Marine Department and the Ports Department are now merged into the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam (MPA).
The Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam was established as the regulatory authority and is responsible for the administration and security of port and shipping affairs in the country. The establishment of the MPA will also further elaborate on the division of regulatory functions and the provision of services that will enable the development of a more organized port and shipping sector.
Becoming the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications
By command of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, His Majesty has consented to change the name of Ministry of Communications to the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) on 15 December 2018.
This change is in line with the core of the Ministry as a policy maker responsible for the development and progress of the transport and infocommunications sector. It also shows the efforts to bring the transport and infocommunications sector in Brunei Darussalam in line with regional best practices in current market and technology developments. In addition, in order to support this name change, the organizational structure has also been updated and is now divided into the transport sector and the infocommunications sector, each headed by a Deputy Permanent Secretary.
With this new name, MTIC also experienced new developments in 2018 and 2019 that expanded its remit and portfolio to include current digital issues, namely:-
a. The establishment of a Digital Economy Council chaired by the Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II, together with the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications. The Digital Economy Council takes over the role of the National IT Council (BIT Council) and the E-Government Leadership Forum (EGLF);
b. The appointment of the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications as the Minister in charge of cyber security (Minister-in-charge of Cybersecurity) and the establishment of Cyber Security Brunei (CSB) as a national agency specialized in cyber security;
c. The absorption of the E-Government National Center (EGNC) and the Overall Government CIO Division (OGCIO) at the Prime Minister's Department, and the Digital Nation Division at the Ministry of Energy to the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications; and
d. For the Science, Technology and Innovation Division (including the role of the Brunei Research Council [BRC]) which was previously under the industrial portfolio of the Ministry of Energy (Energy and Manpower) and Industry at that time to be absorbed into the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications.
Under the latest structure, the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications has five (5) departments:
i. Meteorological Department
i. Land Transport Department
iii. Department of Civil Aviation
iv. Postal Service Department
v. E-Government National Centre
