Brief History
From the 14th
to the 16th centuries Brunei Darussalam was the seat of
a powerful sultanate extending over Sabah, Sarawak and
the lower Philippines. Thus, the current Sultan
represents one of the oldest continuously ruling
dynasties in the world. By the 19th century, the Brunei
Darussalam Empire had been whittled away by wars, piracy
and the colonial expansion of European powers.
In 1847, the sultan concluded a treaty with Great
Britain and in 1888 Brunei Darussalam officially became
a British protectorate. In 1906, the Residential System
was established in Brunei Darussalam. A British Resident
was nominated as a representative of the British
government to advise the sultan in all matters except
Malay customs, traditions and Islamic religion.
The 1959 Agreement established a written constitution
which gave Brunei Darussalam internal self-government.
In 1971, the agreement was amended and revised to assert
full internal independence except defence and external
affairs.
In 1967 His Highness Sultan Haji Sir Muda Omar Ali
Saifuddien abdicated in favour of his son Pengiran Muda
Mahkota Hassanal Bolkiah. On January 1, 1984 Brunei
Darussalam resumed full independence and the Sultan took
office as Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Home
Affairs Minister, presiding over a cabinet of six. In
October 1986, the cabinet was expanded to 11 members,
with His Majesty relinquishing the portfolios of Finance
and Home Affairs and taking over the Defence portfolio
which his late father had held since 1984. In 1988
another reshuffle brought about the elevation of the
deputy minister to a full minister and the creation of
the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources designed
to boost the country's development.
Brunei Darussalam's vision is to promote the country as
a unique tourist destination and gateway to tourism
excellence in South East Asia. The objectives are to
create international awareness of Brunei Darussalam as a
holiday destination; to maximise earings of foreign
exchange and make tourism as one of the main contributor
to GDP. In addition, it will create employment
opportunities.
The country offers a wide variety of attractive places
to be visited and experienced. The rainforest and
National Parks are rich in flora and fauna. Its most
magnificent mosques, water village (traditional and
historic houses on stilts), rich culture and Jerudong
Theme Park are among the uniqueness of Brunei
Darussalam.
The government is now actively promoting tourism as an
important part of its economic diversification. It would
like to see a target of 1 million-visitor arrival by the
year 2000. From January to August 1999, the statistic
recorded 405,532 visitors visited Brunei Darussalam.
One-Stop Agency
As the focal point for all industrial development, the
Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources coordinates
all industrial development activities. For investments
in Brunei Darussalam, the Ministry is a One-Stop Agency.
It is remarkably easy to start an industry in Brunei
Darussalam. A totally private development which does not
require Government facilities needs only the approval to
start. Those requiring Government facilities and
assistance need only deal with the Ministry, which will
liaise with other agencies and expedite applications.
The Ministry realizes the importance of time frames and
clear decision making processes to your business. The
entire procedure has only four stages:-
-
Approval
of the concept
-
Approval
of firm proposal
-
Approval
of physical plans
-
Approval
to operate
In all four
stages, the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources
is your contact as a One-Stop Agency. In Brunei
Darussalam, we make it easy and look forward to being
Your Profitable Partner. We invite you to invest in
Brunei Darussalam as a Partner in Success.
Please contact the Ministry of Industry and Primary
Resources directly - we are ready and available to help.
For further enquiries, please contact the following:-
Chairman
One-Stop Agency
The Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources
Bandar Seri Begawan 1220
Brunei Darussalam
Telefax: (02) 244811
Telex: MIPRS BU 2111
Cable: MIPRS BRUNEI
