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BRUNEI DARUSSALAM’S
COUNTRY
REPORT
ASEAN REGIONAL
CONFERENCE OF SENIOR
OFFICIALS ON SHARING OF
GOOD PRACTICES IN SOCIAL
PROTECTION FOR WOMEN IN
ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
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DEMOGRAPHY
Strategically located on the
north-west coast of Borneo,
Right in the heart of Asia,
Total land area of 5,765 km²,
Enjoys an equatorial climate with
an average temperature of
about 28° Celsius,
 High humidity and heavy
rainfall.
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POPULATION
The population estimate of
Brunei Darussalam for 2011 is
422,700.
 Male 223,300 (53%) Female
(199,400 (47%)
 Brunei citizen (65%) Permanent
resident (8%)

Temporary Residents (27%)
 63% of the population in the
working age group between the
ages of 20 to 64 years.
 Only 3.5% of the population are
above the age of 65.
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BRUNEI DARUSSALAM IN BRIEF
• Small country with great potential
• Per capita Income USD 26,400 (2009)
• Absence of extreme poverty
• Ambitious goals of zero poverty Intends to
enhance the nation’s skill and human resource
base
• Develop more responsive and diversified
economy
• Women have equal access to education
• Women play a significant role in country’s social
and economic development
• Low rate of infant, child and maternal mortality
and control of communicable diseases
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SOCIAL PROTECTION
 Brunei Darussalam has taken wide variety of
steps to ensure social protection for all of its
citizens and residents.
 The policies and programs are designed to
reduce poverty; upgrade the standard of
living; ensuring the welfare and well beings
of the residents:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
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education system;
housing provision;
health system;
retirement packages and pensions for the
aged and disabled population;
Provides various allowances and
subsidies to the entire population.
SOCIAL PROTECTION
 Education is provided free to all citizens from
primary to tertiary level from urban to rural
areas. Hostels are provided for children from
poor families.
 Free medical and health care services is also
provided with minimal charges for registration
only.
 subsidize the price of certain consumer goods
such as rice and sugar.
 subsidized housing under our National
Housing Scheme and Housing Scheme for
Landless Citizens and interest free housing
loans to government servants.
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RETIREMENT PACKAGES AND
PENSIONS
 Increased the retirement age from 55
years to 60 years old to ensure that the
people has an income to support
themselves.
 Introduced the Employee Trust Fund (TAP
scheme) which took effect on 1st
January 1993; to ensure all TAP
employees, who fulfill the set conditions,
receive a monthly minimum income
payment (annuity).
 In 2010, Brunei introduced the
Supplemental Contributory Pension
(SCP) scheme as an addition to TAP
scheme.
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OLD AGE AND DISABILITY
PENSIONS
 Brunei citizens and permanent residents
who have reached the age of 60 years
old and above are eligible for an Old
Age Pension regardless of gender,
economic and social status;
 Disability allowances are also provided
to the disabled who have reached the
age of 15 years.
 a non-contributory and non-means
tested benefit.
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WELFARE ASSISTANCE
 Monthly welfare benefits or financial assistance are
given to needy families of target groups comprising of
widows, divorcees, orphans, bedridden people, and
other targets groups in crisis.
 The welfare benefits given by the Community
Development Department come in the form of
subsistence allowance and education allowance.
 Mean tested.
 The Islamic Religious Council of Brunei Darussalam
disburses tithe’ collections to deserving groups;
 For example, three groups are dominant namely
the hard core poor, the poor, and the ‘Al-Gharimin’
(the group of Muslims who carry the burden of
debts in order to meet basic necessities such as
shelter and food in accordance with ‘Syaria’ law).
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SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR
WOMEN IN SME
 Women have equal access to the provision of
incentives and entrepreneurial support which include
financial assistance schemes, access to infocommunication technology, business counselling as
well as training in the form of workshops, seminars and
consultations.
 The National Long-Term Development Plan 2035 also
emphasize the need to set up a special fund for
women in business.
 Existing program for women in SME includes;
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Self-Reliance Scheme- by DCD
Empowerment Program – by DCD
Community Empowerment Program- by MCYS
PROPAZ Program- source fund by tithe collections
(MORA)
BEDB Youth Development Resources Grant
Scheme- ALCOA Foundation
1. SELF-RELIANCE
SCHEME
 a micro-financing scheme introduced by





Department of Community Development (DCD)
to its welfare recipients in June 2006.
provides seed capital to initiate or expand smallscale businesses with the exemption of interests,
administrative charges, guarantor requirements
and collateral.
each recipient entitled for a sufficient amount of
loan which can be repaid at a minimal amount,
usually after a grace period of 3 months.
periodic monitoring and consultation,
training and development in business and
entrepreneurship foundations including in
financial management and marketing,
motivational seminars and mentoring among
others
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Target
Groups:
 consists of poor and needy people with limited
income;
 the unemployed and those with limited income-
generating skills as well as entrepreneurial
willpower.
 Since June 2006 up to 2014, the Self-Reliance
Scheme have approved 106 applications for
various business categories including food and
catering, agriculture, fisheries, tailoring and
grocery shops. Out of the total number of
participants, 67.0 per cent are women.
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2. EMPOWERMENT
PROGRAM
 In January of 2011, the Self-Reliance Scheme was
upgraded to the Empowerment Programme
(Program Perkasa).
 This programme features four main thrusts, namely
Entrepreneurship Training, Business Skills
Development, Self Development and Micro-Credit
Financing. The four thrusts complement each other
towards the achievement of the following
objectives:
 To reduce dependency on Government welfare and
support;
 To give additional exposure on entrepreneurship and
business management;
 To encourage the traits of self-sustainable, selfresilience and competitive among the target group;
and eventually
 To reduce the rate of poverty in Brunei Darussalam.
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 The programme is hoped to achieve greater
success than the Self-Reliance Scheme as the
micro-credit financing is only disbursed to
participants once they have undergone
mandatory entrepreneurship training, business skills
development as well as the self-development.
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3. COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
PROGRAM
 Apart from that, in August 2013, MCYS operates a
Community Empowerment Programme (Program
Perkasa Komuniti) for the disadvantage people in
which majority of participants are women.
 3 months capacity building program;
 includes basic entrepreneurship training; business
skills training; self-development program;
 Since 2013, 80 participants have joined this
program; 75 female; 5 male.14 participants about
to receive micro grant of $2,000.00 from the
Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports.
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4. EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM
FOR ZAKAT RECIPIENTS (PROPAZ)
 The Ministry of Religious Afffairs has initiated a
programme called Program Pengupayaan Asnaf
Zakat (PROPAZ) or Empowerment Programme for
Zakat Recipients. This programme seeks to
promote the skills and abilities of Zakat receivers
through guidance and training at the Youth
Development Centre (YDC) for a period of 3
months.
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BEDB YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
RESOURCES (YDR) GRANT
SCHEME
 YDR Scheme offers grant to youths who aspire to be
future entrepreneurs.
 Grants will be supplied in the form of purchasing
fixture and fittings.
 An interval monitoring will be done by the relevant
authority.
 The cost of grant will be of BD$2,000 for each and
participating entrepreneur.
BEDB Micro Grants Recipients by
Gender
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GAPS AND
CHALLENGES
1. Stability of the businesses which needed
to be maintained;
 To discipline their financial
management
2. Commitments of young and single
mother;
 Some young and single mother
reluctant to participating in the course/
programs due to their commitments
and responsibilities in looking after their
children.
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LESSON LEARNED
 Continuous improvement
 For instance by providing the suitable
programs & skills in line with the trend
and market
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