What is ideal population for Sultanate?
Saturday, July 5, 2008
BRUNEI'S small population has often been associated with a variety of problems from slow economic diversification efforts, shortage of skilled manpower, an increasingly competitive job market, and ultimately a decreasing national per capita income courtesy of a growing population that has exceeded the country's economic growth.
Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) acting chairman Dato Paduka Timothy Ong announced on state television late last month that the Sultanate would need to speed up its economic growth if it wants to sustain the quality of life its citizens currently enjoy.
Before going ahead with a list of pros and cons of having a bigger population, one might ask, what is the ideal population for Brunei? "Two million," suggested the executive director of the Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS).
But in this case, having a bigger population may not necessarily be a bad thing for Brunei.
The Sultanate is not facing the problem of a burgeoning population explosion like many other Asian countries which eat up the benefits of economic growth. In fact, in the case of Brunei, a population that is a little bigger will help. Take the example of China and India. They are the world's two most populous countries, but in these times of globalisation and IT revolution, it is their large population which has been the main engine of growth.
More importantly numbers do not matter if the population is skilled. Given Brunei's education system (compulsory for all), it will have very few unskilled workforce amongst its population.
"The way we see it, we're very small. Too small," Dr Azaharaini Mohd Jamil said during an interview with The Brunei Times earlier this month.
The small population is good when it comes to putting a strain on national resources but it has its drawbacks. The number of foreign workers in Brunei is very high compared to its population. There are times when foreign workers eat up the jobs of locals. We may blame these local jobseekers for being too choosy but the fact of life is that a foreign worker, at times, works under conditions which a Bruneian may refuse. It also hampers industrialisation.
With a small population one is very reluctant to start off big projects as it requires manpower and again this is where foreign workers are needed. Hence, the slow rate of economic diversification can be blamed on Brunei's small population, amongst other factors.
The oil-rich Gulf countries, which have made rapid strides in economic development, too are facing problems associated with a large foreign workforce. The demographic imbalance it has created has become a cause for concern. In Brunei, a small population has its benefits it feels like a big family, everyone knows each other, etcetera but it has its drawbacks too, where 'connections' and 'kin' become very, very important.
Like managing a huge kampung of approximately 370,000 people, decision-makers have a hard time making good decisions, as too many people know each other. It comes as no surprise that Brunei has a problem with enforcement. With two million people, "no more, no less", Dr Azaharaini believes the number will be sufficient to make 'connection and influence factor' disappear. "When you have a rule, that rule is to govern people, with no exceptions," said the executive director.
The population study is part of the CSPS' new research focus areas, aimed at highlighting the concept of impartiality and will look at ways to enhance objectivity as the country's population grows.
The Brunei Times
Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) acting chairman Dato Paduka Timothy Ong announced on state television late last month that the Sultanate would need to speed up its economic growth if it wants to sustain the quality of life its citizens currently enjoy.
Before going ahead with a list of pros and cons of having a bigger population, one might ask, what is the ideal population for Brunei? "Two million," suggested the executive director of the Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS).
But in this case, having a bigger population may not necessarily be a bad thing for Brunei.
The Sultanate is not facing the problem of a burgeoning population explosion like many other Asian countries which eat up the benefits of economic growth. In fact, in the case of Brunei, a population that is a little bigger will help. Take the example of China and India. They are the world's two most populous countries, but in these times of globalisation and IT revolution, it is their large population which has been the main engine of growth.
More importantly numbers do not matter if the population is skilled. Given Brunei's education system (compulsory for all), it will have very few unskilled workforce amongst its population.
"The way we see it, we're very small. Too small," Dr Azaharaini Mohd Jamil said during an interview with The Brunei Times earlier this month.
The small population is good when it comes to putting a strain on national resources but it has its drawbacks. The number of foreign workers in Brunei is very high compared to its population. There are times when foreign workers eat up the jobs of locals. We may blame these local jobseekers for being too choosy but the fact of life is that a foreign worker, at times, works under conditions which a Bruneian may refuse. It also hampers industrialisation.
With a small population one is very reluctant to start off big projects as it requires manpower and again this is where foreign workers are needed. Hence, the slow rate of economic diversification can be blamed on Brunei's small population, amongst other factors.
The oil-rich Gulf countries, which have made rapid strides in economic development, too are facing problems associated with a large foreign workforce. The demographic imbalance it has created has become a cause for concern. In Brunei, a small population has its benefits it feels like a big family, everyone knows each other, etcetera but it has its drawbacks too, where 'connections' and 'kin' become very, very important.
Like managing a huge kampung of approximately 370,000 people, decision-makers have a hard time making good decisions, as too many people know each other. It comes as no surprise that Brunei has a problem with enforcement. With two million people, "no more, no less", Dr Azaharaini believes the number will be sufficient to make 'connection and influence factor' disappear. "When you have a rule, that rule is to govern people, with no exceptions," said the executive director.
The population study is part of the CSPS' new research focus areas, aimed at highlighting the concept of impartiality and will look at ways to enhance objectivity as the country's population grows.
The Brunei Times
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