Tutong needs investments to facilitate development

THE development of Tutong District is progressing well with more infrastructure being built and increasing number of business entreprises, however the district still needs major investments to facilitate the growth to make it more appealing to locals and foreigners.

Among the development projects in progress include the expansion of the housing scheme with the building of new houses in Bukit Beruang and the construction of Tutong's first Sixth Form College to accomodate students from the district, said Tutong District Officer Hj Idris Hj Md Ali in an interview during an open house at his official residence, yesterday.

He says that there are approximately 800 registered businesses which help in the economic development of the district. However, the district officer points out that this is not enough if Tutong is to develop significantly and taps into its potential. Hj Idris stated that large scale investors were needed to facilitate this growth.

Using Tasek Merimbun as an example, the district officer said that if someone was to invest in maintaining the resorts in the area, it would significantly enhance the area's potential in attracting tourists and turn Tutong into an eco-tourism hotspot.

At present tourists are unlikely to travel all the way from bandar to Tutong only to visit the park for a few hours.

However he cautioned that the development should run in tandem with efforts to preserve the environment. "It is a beautiful area, one of the Asean Heritage Parks. We should be cautious not to overdevelop and spoil the area, but at present it is mainly visited by locals," he said.

The district officer also spoke about the possibility of having an airport in Tutong, which would be ideal as it would be located between Brunei-Muara and Belait Districts.

An excellent transport system would have to compliment this expansion, which Hj Idris suggested could be in the form of a railway line that would run from the capital to Belait. "Of course this will depend on economic viability and the demand for such a system. But consider the advantages. It would lessen the burden of the people who have to commute long distances to work, and most importantly would make Tutong an attractive place to live in."

With Brunei-Muara bing the hub of government administration, people prefer to live closer to work and therefore reside away from the district.

"Our population is growing. It's evident since we are building schools, houses and community centres, but we still need to make the district a more favourable place to live in," he stated.

The district officer also talked about agriculture sector in the district, which he said was also being developed, particularly in small scale padi cultivation. However, he added, this was expected to increase with the expansion and identification of suitable farming areas, such as Suphon Kechil.

The Brunei Times