Unemployment May Affect Stability
By James Kon
Bandar Seri Begawan - Statistics from the Labour Department last year showed that 113,621 foreigners and locals were employed in the private sector. Out of the total, 78,658 or 69.2 per cent are foreign workers, while the rest (30.8 per cent) are locals and permanent residents.
Most of the foreign workers are employed in construction, mining and manufacturing. While most of the local and permanent resident workers are employed in the financial, insurance and commercial sectors.
The statistics show that there are areas in confronting the issue of unemployment, especially by attracting more locals to seek employment in the private sector.
This observation was made by Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Awang Hj Md Yusof, the Minister of Home Affairs in his capacity as chairman of the first
meeting of the committee on tackling unemployment, yesterday.
The minister noted, "With the establishment of the committee on tackling unemployment, I hope that we together also can curb social problems like crime and drug abuse and at the same time support His Majesty's (the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam) aspiration in achieving further stability."
"Unemployment is a national issue that needs to be addressed and tackled by all stakeholders in the private and public sectors and the community itself. If left unchecked, it will have a negative impact on the social-economic stability and prosperity of the country."
Held at the new Ministry of Home Affairs building, the meeting was told by the Minister of Home Affairs said that in August 2008, a total of 6,025 jobseekers were registered with the Labour Department with 92.9 per cent of them holding qualifications below '0' Level.
"Many of these jobseekers still prefer to look for jobs that do not match their qualification," he said.
"Although jobseekers are employed in the private sector, many couldn't fulfill their obligations, causing very high turnover in the private sector.
"The sad part is that most of the jobseekers are classified in the productive group and are physically fit, however couldn't contribute to the economy of the country."
To tackle the worrying trend of unemployment, a committee on tackling unemployment was set up with the consent of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
He said the committee on tackling unemployment is comprised of officials from the private and public sectors. Among the aims of establishing such the committee are to examine real situation in the job market; to identify the causes of unemployment among locals; to prepare policies and action plans as well as mechanism in tackling unemployment; to prepare and organise courses or programmes and activities that are more comprehensive as well as effective. "The committee also can invite any relevant authorities that can contribute information and opinions to tackle unemployment issues. The committee can also appoint a working committee to oversee the effectiveness of the committee."
The co-chairpersons of the committee are Pehin Orang Kaya Dewa Pahlawan Dato Paduka Haji Awang Dani bin Haji Ibrahim, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, and Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Eusoff Agaki Haji Ismail, Deputy Minister at Prime Minister's Office. Other members of the committee include senior government officials and prominent figures from the private sector. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Showing posts with label unemployment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unemployment. Show all posts
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Indonesia seen losing 40,000 jobs by year-end
Indonesia seen losing 40,000 jobs by year-end
JAKARTA
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
COMPANIES in Indonesia will have shed 40,000 jobs by the end of 2008 as a result of the global financial crisis, a government minister said yesterday.
Employment Minister Erman Suparno projected that 23,000 workers will be let go in December, while 17,000 jobs were cut in previous months.
The jobs are in the electronics and manufacturing sectors, but he did not specify at which companies.
The worsening economic climate will result in more losses in 2009, he said without providing details. Hundreds of thousands of Indonesian workers abroad also face possible redundancy, he said.
As many as 150,000 people could lose their jobs in the first half of 2009, the head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mohamad Suleman Hidayat, warned yesterday, calling for the swift implementation of an economic stimulus package. The official unemployment rate is around 10 per cent.
The Indonesian government lowered economic growth forecasts to between five per cent and 5.5 per cent in 2009, down from an earlier projection of 6.5 per cent. The World Bank expects a sharper contraction.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's finance minister yesterday announced measures to speed up and reduce costs for imports at two of the country's key ports, using a centralised electronic system to obtain government approvals.
The measures, which apply to licenced importers, come into effect immediately at Jakarta's Tanjung Priok port and the Central Java port of Tanjung Emas. They are intended to improve the process of importing goods into the country.
Agencies
JAKARTA
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
COMPANIES in Indonesia will have shed 40,000 jobs by the end of 2008 as a result of the global financial crisis, a government minister said yesterday.
Employment Minister Erman Suparno projected that 23,000 workers will be let go in December, while 17,000 jobs were cut in previous months.
The jobs are in the electronics and manufacturing sectors, but he did not specify at which companies.
The worsening economic climate will result in more losses in 2009, he said without providing details. Hundreds of thousands of Indonesian workers abroad also face possible redundancy, he said.
As many as 150,000 people could lose their jobs in the first half of 2009, the head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mohamad Suleman Hidayat, warned yesterday, calling for the swift implementation of an economic stimulus package. The official unemployment rate is around 10 per cent.
The Indonesian government lowered economic growth forecasts to between five per cent and 5.5 per cent in 2009, down from an earlier projection of 6.5 per cent. The World Bank expects a sharper contraction.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's finance minister yesterday announced measures to speed up and reduce costs for imports at two of the country's key ports, using a centralised electronic system to obtain government approvals.
The measures, which apply to licenced importers, come into effect immediately at Jakarta's Tanjung Priok port and the Central Java port of Tanjung Emas. They are intended to improve the process of importing goods into the country.
Agencies
Friday, December 12, 2008
Labor force
Labor force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In economics the people in the labor force are the suppliers of labor. In 2005, the worldwide labor force was over 3 billion people.
Normally, the labor force of a country (or other geographic entity) consists of everyone of working age (typically above a certain age (around 14 to 16) and below retirement age who are participating workers, that is people actively employed or looking for work. Child labor laws in the United States forbid employing people under 18 in hazardous jobs.
The fraction of the labor force that is seeking work but cannot find it determines the unemployment rate.
The labor force is the number of people employed and unemployed. Participation rate is the ratio between the labor force and the overall size of their cohort (national population of the same age range). In the West during the latter half of the 20th century, the labor force participation rate increased significantly, largely due to the increasing number of women entering the workplace.
Claudia Goldin and others, specifically point that by the mid 1970s there was a period of revolution of women in the labor force brought on by a source of different factors. Women more accurately planned for their future in the work force, investing in more applicable majors in college that prepared them to enter and compete in the labor market.
In the United States, the labor force participation rate rose from approximately 59% in 1948 to 66% in 2005, with participation among women rising from 32% to 59% and participation among men declining from 87% to 73%. Conversely, the labor force participation rate can decrease when the rate of growth of the population outweighs that of the employed and unemployed together.
The labor force participation rate is a key component in long term economic growth, almost as important as productivity.
Pop = total population
LF = labor force = U + E
LFpop = labor force population
p = participation rate = LF / LFpop
E = number employed
e = rate of employment = E / LF
U = number of unemployed
u = rate of unemployment = U / LF
The labor force participation rate explains how an increase in the unemployment rate can occur simultaneously with an increase in employment. If a large amount of new workers enter the labor force but only a small fraction become employed, then the increase in the number of unemployed workers can outpace the growth in employment.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In economics the people in the labor force are the suppliers of labor. In 2005, the worldwide labor force was over 3 billion people.
Normally, the labor force of a country (or other geographic entity) consists of everyone of working age (typically above a certain age (around 14 to 16) and below retirement age who are participating workers, that is people actively employed or looking for work. Child labor laws in the United States forbid employing people under 18 in hazardous jobs.
The fraction of the labor force that is seeking work but cannot find it determines the unemployment rate.
The labor force is the number of people employed and unemployed. Participation rate is the ratio between the labor force and the overall size of their cohort (national population of the same age range). In the West during the latter half of the 20th century, the labor force participation rate increased significantly, largely due to the increasing number of women entering the workplace.
Claudia Goldin and others, specifically point that by the mid 1970s there was a period of revolution of women in the labor force brought on by a source of different factors. Women more accurately planned for their future in the work force, investing in more applicable majors in college that prepared them to enter and compete in the labor market.
In the United States, the labor force participation rate rose from approximately 59% in 1948 to 66% in 2005, with participation among women rising from 32% to 59% and participation among men declining from 87% to 73%. Conversely, the labor force participation rate can decrease when the rate of growth of the population outweighs that of the employed and unemployed together.
The labor force participation rate is a key component in long term economic growth, almost as important as productivity.
Pop = total population
LF = labor force = U + E
LFpop = labor force population
p = participation rate = LF / LFpop
E = number employed
e = rate of employment = E / LF
U = number of unemployed
u = rate of unemployment = U / LF
The labor force participation rate explains how an increase in the unemployment rate can occur simultaneously with an increase in employment. If a large amount of new workers enter the labor force but only a small fraction become employed, then the increase in the number of unemployed workers can outpace the growth in employment.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Crisis to take toll on pay: ILO
Crisis to take toll on pay: ILO
Stop the pain!: A worker, holds a cardboard of a screaming mouth, during the weekly demonstration over the global financial crisis in central Reykjavik on November 22. The ILO said the economic downturn will erode the wages of millions of workers. Picture: AFP
GENEVA
Thursday, November 27, 2008
ECONOMIC turmoil will erode the wages of millions of workers in 2009, fanning the flames of global recession, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) yesterday said.
Inflation-adjusted pay in rich nations will fall 0.5 per cent in the coming year the first wage decrease since before 2001 after having increased 0.8 per cent this year, according to new estimates from the United Nations agency.
Developing country wages should prove more resilient, led by continued gains in China and India, the ILO said.
On a global basis, it estimated real wages will rise 1.1 per cent in 2009, compared with 1.7 per cent in 2008.
"For the world's 1.5 billion wage earners, difficult times lie ahead," ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said in the Global Wage Report, whose comparable data only stretches back to 2001.
Somavia, a Chilean, called for strong collective bargaining to counter any decrease in wages linked to the world's financial and economic crises that the ILO has previously said will wipe out 20 million jobs by the end of 2009.
In previous periods of contraction, every one percentage point drop in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita brought about a 1.55 percentage point decline in average wages, making it even harder for people to spend and invest, according to ILO data.
"If this pattern were to be followed in the rapidly spreading global downturn, it would deepen the recession and delay the recovery," Somavia said.
But even when economic growth rates were buoyant, the ILO report said wages have failed to keep pace.
For each one percentage point of GDP growth from 1995 to 2007, average wages only increased 0.75 percentage points, with pay rates largely failing to increase in line with productivity growth levels, it found.
Inequalities between top and bottom wages have also risen, most notably in the US, Germany, Poland, Argentina, China and Thailand, the ILO said.
France, Spain, Brazil and Indonesia were found to have reduced those gaps somewhat in recent years.
Women's wages represent an average of 70 to 90 per cent of men's wages in most major economies, though some Asian nations have larger disparities, the report said.
People at the bottom of the wage ladder will be squeezed hardest by decreasing rates of pay in the coming period of economic contraction, according to ILO expert Manuela Tomei.
"If they fall too much, this will make the crisis even worse," she told a news briefing in Geneva.
Greater efforts to empower workers and enact minimum wage laws should help more people weather the coming storm, the ILO concluded.
"We think that it is important to encourage collective bargaining and social dialogue," Tomei said.
There have been a spate of job cuts from companies worldwide who have been hit hard by the financial turmoil.
International recruitment company Manpower had said employee numbers will be cut sharply in many Western nations as companies pare costs to survive the global financial crisis.
Reuters, AFP
Stop the pain!: A worker, holds a cardboard of a screaming mouth, during the weekly demonstration over the global financial crisis in central Reykjavik on November 22. The ILO said the economic downturn will erode the wages of millions of workers. Picture: AFP
GENEVA
Thursday, November 27, 2008
ECONOMIC turmoil will erode the wages of millions of workers in 2009, fanning the flames of global recession, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) yesterday said.
Inflation-adjusted pay in rich nations will fall 0.5 per cent in the coming year the first wage decrease since before 2001 after having increased 0.8 per cent this year, according to new estimates from the United Nations agency.
Developing country wages should prove more resilient, led by continued gains in China and India, the ILO said.
On a global basis, it estimated real wages will rise 1.1 per cent in 2009, compared with 1.7 per cent in 2008.
"For the world's 1.5 billion wage earners, difficult times lie ahead," ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said in the Global Wage Report, whose comparable data only stretches back to 2001.
Somavia, a Chilean, called for strong collective bargaining to counter any decrease in wages linked to the world's financial and economic crises that the ILO has previously said will wipe out 20 million jobs by the end of 2009.
In previous periods of contraction, every one percentage point drop in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita brought about a 1.55 percentage point decline in average wages, making it even harder for people to spend and invest, according to ILO data.
"If this pattern were to be followed in the rapidly spreading global downturn, it would deepen the recession and delay the recovery," Somavia said.
But even when economic growth rates were buoyant, the ILO report said wages have failed to keep pace.
For each one percentage point of GDP growth from 1995 to 2007, average wages only increased 0.75 percentage points, with pay rates largely failing to increase in line with productivity growth levels, it found.
Inequalities between top and bottom wages have also risen, most notably in the US, Germany, Poland, Argentina, China and Thailand, the ILO said.
France, Spain, Brazil and Indonesia were found to have reduced those gaps somewhat in recent years.
Women's wages represent an average of 70 to 90 per cent of men's wages in most major economies, though some Asian nations have larger disparities, the report said.
People at the bottom of the wage ladder will be squeezed hardest by decreasing rates of pay in the coming period of economic contraction, according to ILO expert Manuela Tomei.
"If they fall too much, this will make the crisis even worse," she told a news briefing in Geneva.
Greater efforts to empower workers and enact minimum wage laws should help more people weather the coming storm, the ILO concluded.
"We think that it is important to encourage collective bargaining and social dialogue," Tomei said.
There have been a spate of job cuts from companies worldwide who have been hit hard by the financial turmoil.
International recruitment company Manpower had said employee numbers will be cut sharply in many Western nations as companies pare costs to survive the global financial crisis.
Reuters, AFP
Job losses feared in Malaysia
Job losses feared in Malaysia
Gloomy forecast: Malaysian investor looks at the index board at a viewing gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last month. The recession in Malaysia next year is projected to be worse than the Asian crisis in 1997. It would be more like 1986, when commodity prices slumped and exports weakened, prompting factories to retrench workers.Picture: EPA
ANIL NETTO
PENANG
Thursday, November 27, 2008
THE global economic slowdown is slowly creeping onto Malaysian shores leaving many worried about the impact it will have on workers. Although Malaysia's financial institutions and banks are in better shape than they were during the East Asian financial crisis in 1997, the economy is already feeling the effects of the recession in the West.
Economic growth for the country is projected at 3.5 per cent for next year but even that could be optimistic. Some analysts are not ruling out an economic contraction and there is growing concern that workers, both Malaysian and migrants, could be vulnerable.
"The recession here next year could be worse than the Asian crisis in 1997," warns economist Subramaniam Pillay, an associate professor in international finance at Nottingham University's campus in Malaysia. "It would be more like 1986, when commodity prices slumped and exports weakened, prompting factories to retrench workers."
Now there are similar fears that as consumer demand in the West falters, exports here could slide and factories could once again shed workers before long.
With the experience of the recession of the mid to late 1980s in mind, activists have been calling for a comprehensive social security plan. Increasingly, calls are being heard for a national retrenchment fund to protect workers in anticipation of possible job losses.
The government has said it is considering this "but even if they start it off now, the fund won't be big enough to handle the recession next year," warns opposition parliamentarian Jeyakumar Devaraj.
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress has proposed that employers and employees should each contribute one ringgit per worker to the fund. With around five million salaried workers in the private sector, such a retrenchment fund could collect more than 100 million ringgit ($40 million) in a year.
"But there is no commitment from the government up to now," laments Devaraj. "Instead, we see them injecting 5 billion ringgit from the (state-managed) Employees Provident Fund (a retirement fund for workers) into the stock market."
Some have pointed out Malaysians will be cushioned from job losses by the presence of these migrant workers who could be the first to lose their jobs.
But that may give a false sense of security as thousands of Malaysians are also employed in free trade zones especially as operators in the electronics multinational corporations.
Subramaniam feels that the government should review its low-wage policy in attracting foreign investors. Local wages are suppressed by the presence of some three million low-wage migrant workers, about a third of them undocumented.
"What's the point of being among the world's top trading nations when your workers are being paid peanuts?" he asks.
Meanwhile, economic analysts have noted that a revised budget for next year is necessary as the present one tabled earlier this year was calculated based on an assumption of a global oil prices for next year of US$125 — whereas the price now has plummeted to around 50 dollars now.
About 40 per cent of the national budget is traditionally funded from petroleum revenue — Malaysia is a net exporter of oil — with the remainder coming from taxes, observes Subramaniam.
A sharp drop in the prices of oil and palm oil products will erode Malaysia's earnings and affect the budget - though the country has ample foreign exchange reserves.
Meanwhile, the government has announced a 5 million ringgit allocation to retrain retrenched workers. Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam said the government would top up 1 ringgit for every 1 ringgit spent by employers to retrain workers and upgrade their skills.
From November 1 this year, all skills upgrading retraining programmes would receive full financial aid.
In addition, the government has also announced a 7 billion ringgit economic stimulus package of pre-emptive pump priming.
Devaraj says instead of giving out large infrastructure contracts to private contractors who may hire low-wage foreign workers, the Public Works Department could hire temporary local workers directly as "work brigades", which he says would be a more effective way of creating a multiplier effect for the local economy.
Despite the fall in oil prices, many Malaysians are still finding it hard to cope with the cost of living especially higher food prices, which particularly squeezes the poor.
On November 17, the government slashed the pump price of petrol from 2.15 ringgit per litre to 2 ringgit — the fifth reduction in recent months as global prices sank to US$55 per barrel.
But many noticed that the local pump price is now still higher than it was on January 5 when petrol prices were then raised by 41 per cent to 2.70 ringgit at a time when the global oil price was around US$125.
The effect of the June 5 oil price hike is still being felt. Even as the pump prices locally were reduced, food prices — driven up by commodity speculators and local retailers — have not fallen correspondingly.
"It may be true that the price of oil has gone down but the prices of rice and other basic necessities are still sky high," complained one reader from Sabah in North Borneo of the popular Malaysia Today website. "I was in Kuching (in neighbouring Sarawak state) a month ago and I noted that the price of Beras Malaysia (local rice) was only 15 ringgit (4.1 dollars). Here in Kota Kinabalu (in Sabah) it is sold at 18 ringgit (4.9 dollars). Why is the difference so big?"
Even the poverty line has come under scrutiny. Though the official threshold for monthly household income was raised a couple of years ago from 588 to 691 ringgit, many analysts feel that that benchmark for measuring poverty is grossly understated.
A more realistic poverty line could be double that figure, putting many more Malaysians — up to 30 per cent in the industrialised state of Selangor — in the poverty bracket.
Concerned that workers rights could be affected as the economy slides, a coalition of civil society groups, the Oppressed People's Network (Jerit), is organising a nationwide bicycle campaign to highlight their concern about the more difficult conditions for workers. Scores of cyclists from three main locations in the north, south and east coast of the peninsula will be flagged off simultaneously on December 3 and they will pedal towards the Federal Parliament, converging there on December 18.
There they will be present a memorandum to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, highlighting their demands.
Their main demands include the introduction of a minimum wage, decent housing, price controls for essential goods and an end to the privatisation of essential services.
They are also linking this to broader civil and political rights including the restoration of local government election and the repeal of the draconian Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial.
Along the way, they will also distribute leaflets to the public and present similar memorandums to the chief ministers of the various states.
Devaraj notes that recent global events have proven that the neo-liberal model — with its accompanying assumptions of deregulation and the unchecked pursuit of wealth — has had adverse results ranging from climate change to worsening food security to imbalances in the distribution of wealth between and within nations. "So we need to look at new and alternative paradigms of development," he says.
IPS
Gloomy forecast: Malaysian investor looks at the index board at a viewing gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last month. The recession in Malaysia next year is projected to be worse than the Asian crisis in 1997. It would be more like 1986, when commodity prices slumped and exports weakened, prompting factories to retrench workers.Picture: EPA
ANIL NETTO
PENANG
Thursday, November 27, 2008
THE global economic slowdown is slowly creeping onto Malaysian shores leaving many worried about the impact it will have on workers. Although Malaysia's financial institutions and banks are in better shape than they were during the East Asian financial crisis in 1997, the economy is already feeling the effects of the recession in the West.
Economic growth for the country is projected at 3.5 per cent for next year but even that could be optimistic. Some analysts are not ruling out an economic contraction and there is growing concern that workers, both Malaysian and migrants, could be vulnerable.
"The recession here next year could be worse than the Asian crisis in 1997," warns economist Subramaniam Pillay, an associate professor in international finance at Nottingham University's campus in Malaysia. "It would be more like 1986, when commodity prices slumped and exports weakened, prompting factories to retrench workers."
Now there are similar fears that as consumer demand in the West falters, exports here could slide and factories could once again shed workers before long.
With the experience of the recession of the mid to late 1980s in mind, activists have been calling for a comprehensive social security plan. Increasingly, calls are being heard for a national retrenchment fund to protect workers in anticipation of possible job losses.
The government has said it is considering this "but even if they start it off now, the fund won't be big enough to handle the recession next year," warns opposition parliamentarian Jeyakumar Devaraj.
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress has proposed that employers and employees should each contribute one ringgit per worker to the fund. With around five million salaried workers in the private sector, such a retrenchment fund could collect more than 100 million ringgit ($40 million) in a year.
"But there is no commitment from the government up to now," laments Devaraj. "Instead, we see them injecting 5 billion ringgit from the (state-managed) Employees Provident Fund (a retirement fund for workers) into the stock market."
Some have pointed out Malaysians will be cushioned from job losses by the presence of these migrant workers who could be the first to lose their jobs.
But that may give a false sense of security as thousands of Malaysians are also employed in free trade zones especially as operators in the electronics multinational corporations.
Subramaniam feels that the government should review its low-wage policy in attracting foreign investors. Local wages are suppressed by the presence of some three million low-wage migrant workers, about a third of them undocumented.
"What's the point of being among the world's top trading nations when your workers are being paid peanuts?" he asks.
Meanwhile, economic analysts have noted that a revised budget for next year is necessary as the present one tabled earlier this year was calculated based on an assumption of a global oil prices for next year of US$125 — whereas the price now has plummeted to around 50 dollars now.
About 40 per cent of the national budget is traditionally funded from petroleum revenue — Malaysia is a net exporter of oil — with the remainder coming from taxes, observes Subramaniam.
A sharp drop in the prices of oil and palm oil products will erode Malaysia's earnings and affect the budget - though the country has ample foreign exchange reserves.
Meanwhile, the government has announced a 5 million ringgit allocation to retrain retrenched workers. Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam said the government would top up 1 ringgit for every 1 ringgit spent by employers to retrain workers and upgrade their skills.
From November 1 this year, all skills upgrading retraining programmes would receive full financial aid.
In addition, the government has also announced a 7 billion ringgit economic stimulus package of pre-emptive pump priming.
Devaraj says instead of giving out large infrastructure contracts to private contractors who may hire low-wage foreign workers, the Public Works Department could hire temporary local workers directly as "work brigades", which he says would be a more effective way of creating a multiplier effect for the local economy.
Despite the fall in oil prices, many Malaysians are still finding it hard to cope with the cost of living especially higher food prices, which particularly squeezes the poor.
On November 17, the government slashed the pump price of petrol from 2.15 ringgit per litre to 2 ringgit — the fifth reduction in recent months as global prices sank to US$55 per barrel.
But many noticed that the local pump price is now still higher than it was on January 5 when petrol prices were then raised by 41 per cent to 2.70 ringgit at a time when the global oil price was around US$125.
The effect of the June 5 oil price hike is still being felt. Even as the pump prices locally were reduced, food prices — driven up by commodity speculators and local retailers — have not fallen correspondingly.
"It may be true that the price of oil has gone down but the prices of rice and other basic necessities are still sky high," complained one reader from Sabah in North Borneo of the popular Malaysia Today website. "I was in Kuching (in neighbouring Sarawak state) a month ago and I noted that the price of Beras Malaysia (local rice) was only 15 ringgit (4.1 dollars). Here in Kota Kinabalu (in Sabah) it is sold at 18 ringgit (4.9 dollars). Why is the difference so big?"
Even the poverty line has come under scrutiny. Though the official threshold for monthly household income was raised a couple of years ago from 588 to 691 ringgit, many analysts feel that that benchmark for measuring poverty is grossly understated.
A more realistic poverty line could be double that figure, putting many more Malaysians — up to 30 per cent in the industrialised state of Selangor — in the poverty bracket.
Concerned that workers rights could be affected as the economy slides, a coalition of civil society groups, the Oppressed People's Network (Jerit), is organising a nationwide bicycle campaign to highlight their concern about the more difficult conditions for workers. Scores of cyclists from three main locations in the north, south and east coast of the peninsula will be flagged off simultaneously on December 3 and they will pedal towards the Federal Parliament, converging there on December 18.
There they will be present a memorandum to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, highlighting their demands.
Their main demands include the introduction of a minimum wage, decent housing, price controls for essential goods and an end to the privatisation of essential services.
They are also linking this to broader civil and political rights including the restoration of local government election and the repeal of the draconian Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial.
Along the way, they will also distribute leaflets to the public and present similar memorandums to the chief ministers of the various states.
Devaraj notes that recent global events have proven that the neo-liberal model — with its accompanying assumptions of deregulation and the unchecked pursuit of wealth — has had adverse results ranging from climate change to worsening food security to imbalances in the distribution of wealth between and within nations. "So we need to look at new and alternative paradigms of development," he says.
IPS
Friday, November 21, 2008
6,000 vacancies of various posts in civil service
6,000 vacancies of various posts in civil service
Switch roles: Sa Bali Abas, the PSD Director General delivering his speech yesterday.Picture: BT/Jefrisalas
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Friday, November 21, 2008
Civil servants must be able to assume tasks of absent staff or unfilled positions
THERE were hushed whispers when Director General of the Public Service Department, Sa Ali Abas, indicated in his opening speech yesterday that there were currently 6,000 vacancies in the various government sectors. Although the director general did not qualify his statement, he clearly indicated the number of posts lying vacant.
The speech was given yesterday in a briefing on the memo issued by the Prime Minister's Office on proper procedures and guidelines on appointment of temporary officers to fill the duties of absent colleagues or vacant positions at the Bertabur Hall of the Ministry of Development.
Speaking on the memo, the director general said that the switching of roles and taking on of tasks left by an absent employee or a unfilled position should be used to the fullest extent by civil servants to gain more experience and a steady hand in their work which will enhance and develop their career.
"The need to continuously develop is essential for an individual so as to keep up with the challenges brought about by globalisation," he said.
He pointed out that, with the current financial turmoil, the world was faced with a greater challenge to overcome constraints. "The need to constantly equip yourself with new skills is crucial to buffer against any economic volatility that may occur," he said.
"This is certain to generate economic benefits as the public sector enhances its operations the efficiency spin-offs can be achieved in the real economy. As Brunei aims to diversify its economic base, the importance of the public sector is indeed crucial as it would be able to facilitate the sustainable growth of the nation."
He added that there were several weaknesses which needed to be ironed out in the current administration including the condition that replacement staff are not allowed to give directives during the absence of an officer. This and several other aspects will be worked on, said Sa Bali Abas.
The responsibility for appointment of replacements lie in the hands of heads or supervisors of each and every department who has to ensure that the appointed officers are capable to take over the tasks to prevent any complaints or misunderstandings.
The director general stressed that the memo should be filled in compliance with the guidelines and added: "The last thing that anyone wants to hear is replacement officers' payment is retracted due to the memo not complying with the standards."
The Brunei Times
Switch roles: Sa Bali Abas, the PSD Director General delivering his speech yesterday.Picture: BT/Jefrisalas
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Friday, November 21, 2008
Civil servants must be able to assume tasks of absent staff or unfilled positions
THERE were hushed whispers when Director General of the Public Service Department, Sa Ali Abas, indicated in his opening speech yesterday that there were currently 6,000 vacancies in the various government sectors. Although the director general did not qualify his statement, he clearly indicated the number of posts lying vacant.
The speech was given yesterday in a briefing on the memo issued by the Prime Minister's Office on proper procedures and guidelines on appointment of temporary officers to fill the duties of absent colleagues or vacant positions at the Bertabur Hall of the Ministry of Development.
Speaking on the memo, the director general said that the switching of roles and taking on of tasks left by an absent employee or a unfilled position should be used to the fullest extent by civil servants to gain more experience and a steady hand in their work which will enhance and develop their career.
"The need to continuously develop is essential for an individual so as to keep up with the challenges brought about by globalisation," he said.
He pointed out that, with the current financial turmoil, the world was faced with a greater challenge to overcome constraints. "The need to constantly equip yourself with new skills is crucial to buffer against any economic volatility that may occur," he said.
"This is certain to generate economic benefits as the public sector enhances its operations the efficiency spin-offs can be achieved in the real economy. As Brunei aims to diversify its economic base, the importance of the public sector is indeed crucial as it would be able to facilitate the sustainable growth of the nation."
He added that there were several weaknesses which needed to be ironed out in the current administration including the condition that replacement staff are not allowed to give directives during the absence of an officer. This and several other aspects will be worked on, said Sa Bali Abas.
The responsibility for appointment of replacements lie in the hands of heads or supervisors of each and every department who has to ensure that the appointed officers are capable to take over the tasks to prevent any complaints or misunderstandings.
The director general stressed that the memo should be filled in compliance with the guidelines and added: "The last thing that anyone wants to hear is replacement officers' payment is retracted due to the memo not complying with the standards."
The Brunei Times
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Employment centre to facilitate jobseekers
Employment centre to facilitate jobseekers
Working visit: The Minister of Home Affairs (L) listens to a briefing by Anisa Hj Mohd Taib (R), the assistant Labour Commissioner.Picture: BT/Ubaidillah Masli
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
FOLLOWING its recent transition from the Labour Department building to the existing government rest-house in the capital, the Pusat Pekerjaan Tempatan, or the Employment Centre for Locals was visited by the Minister of Home Affairs yesterday.
In an interview with the press, Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof told media that the purpose of the visit was to discuss and understand the plans to increase the effectiveness of the centre's role in assisting and encouraging local job-seekers to work in the private sector.
The working visit also held the objective of familiarising the public with the centre's new location, which is adjacent to the Brunei Hotel. The centre, which is actually a division under the Labour Department, was moved to the capital so that job-seekers would find it more convenient and accessible upon registering themselves at the centre.
During the visit, the minister was shown around the various units found at the centre such as the Development and Training Unit and the Welfare for Locals Unit by the assistant commissioner for Labour, Anisa Hj Mohd Taib. Also present during the working visit was the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Pg Abdul Haris Pg Hj Shahbudin as well as the current Acting Commissioner of Labour, Hjh Rosliah Hj Hasbollah and other officials from the ministry and the Labour Department.
Among the roles of the centre were to register local job-seekers and to seek help to set up interviews with employers who advertise their job offers at the centre.
The centre also often held talks with employers so that they would place priority in hiring local employees at their respective companies.
It also plays a pivotal role of conducting the various follow-up investigations at the work-places that the individuals have been employed by.
A special programme was introduced for the unemployed graduates and various school-leavers under the Human Resource Fund that was already being implemented on trial by the centre. It will carry out "Employment Orientation and Job Matching" and comprised of basic training, understanding of communication and work ethics as well as conducting work placement offers and over-seeing of the signing of the job contract.
At present, there were two groups in the programme, one of which had 44 participants and the other 34 participants.
And among the programme's objectives was to provide information on job opportunities in the private sector, train the job-seekers in "tailor-made" skills with the demands of the employer in mind and to change the local mind-set.
It also aimed to increase the private sector's role as the main provider of job opportunities and raise the involvement of the local people in economic activities, and thus reducing the unemployment.
Some 20 staff were employed at the centre, that moved to the new building in early August. (ODM1)The Brunei Times
Working visit: The Minister of Home Affairs (L) listens to a briefing by Anisa Hj Mohd Taib (R), the assistant Labour Commissioner.Picture: BT/Ubaidillah Masli
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
FOLLOWING its recent transition from the Labour Department building to the existing government rest-house in the capital, the Pusat Pekerjaan Tempatan, or the Employment Centre for Locals was visited by the Minister of Home Affairs yesterday.
In an interview with the press, Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof told media that the purpose of the visit was to discuss and understand the plans to increase the effectiveness of the centre's role in assisting and encouraging local job-seekers to work in the private sector.
The working visit also held the objective of familiarising the public with the centre's new location, which is adjacent to the Brunei Hotel. The centre, which is actually a division under the Labour Department, was moved to the capital so that job-seekers would find it more convenient and accessible upon registering themselves at the centre.
During the visit, the minister was shown around the various units found at the centre such as the Development and Training Unit and the Welfare for Locals Unit by the assistant commissioner for Labour, Anisa Hj Mohd Taib. Also present during the working visit was the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Pg Abdul Haris Pg Hj Shahbudin as well as the current Acting Commissioner of Labour, Hjh Rosliah Hj Hasbollah and other officials from the ministry and the Labour Department.
Among the roles of the centre were to register local job-seekers and to seek help to set up interviews with employers who advertise their job offers at the centre.
The centre also often held talks with employers so that they would place priority in hiring local employees at their respective companies.
It also plays a pivotal role of conducting the various follow-up investigations at the work-places that the individuals have been employed by.
A special programme was introduced for the unemployed graduates and various school-leavers under the Human Resource Fund that was already being implemented on trial by the centre. It will carry out "Employment Orientation and Job Matching" and comprised of basic training, understanding of communication and work ethics as well as conducting work placement offers and over-seeing of the signing of the job contract.
At present, there were two groups in the programme, one of which had 44 participants and the other 34 participants.
And among the programme's objectives was to provide information on job opportunities in the private sector, train the job-seekers in "tailor-made" skills with the demands of the employer in mind and to change the local mind-set.
It also aimed to increase the private sector's role as the main provider of job opportunities and raise the involvement of the local people in economic activities, and thus reducing the unemployment.
Some 20 staff were employed at the centre, that moved to the new building in early August. (ODM1)The Brunei Times
Unemployment figures indicate slight drop
Unemployment figures indicate slight drop
Encouraging trend: Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof taking down notes during the meeting.Picture: BT/Ubaidillah Masli
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
BRUNEI'S latest unemployment figures for locals official registered with the Labour Department stands close to 5,089 people who are currently out there in search of jobs. The statistics update was disclosed yesterday during the Minister of Home Affairs' working visit to the Pusat Pekerjaan Tempatan, the Employment Centre for Locals, which was followed by a meeting where the centre's progress was discussed.
Previously, the figure stood at 6,025 unemployed locals, but with the help of the department, 936 of these individuals have managed to find jobs in the private and public sectors. According to the statistics, 83 per cent of those unemployed were individuals who left school before or just slightly after successfully completing their Secondary Five education.
Home Affairs Minister Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof stressed the importance of addressing the issue during the meeting with the officials from the Labour Department and the centre.
"(This is) a challenge we must face together as it is the role of the Pusat Pekerjaan Tempatan to ensure that these unemployed people are helped to find jobs in Brunei Darussalam," he said.
During the meeting, the minister was briefed on the functions of the centre's action plans and the progress of the special programme for unemployed graduates and school-leavers under the human resource fund which was organised by the Labour Department and supported by the Economic Planning and Development Department.
From the statistics, approximately 69 per cent of those in the private sector were foreign workers and only 31 per cent was local. Pehin Dato Hj Adanan said that the centre should work towards the target of increasing the private workforce to 50 per cent local and roughly 50 per cent foreign employees.
At present there was a total of 79,000 foreigners working in the private sector, not including those who were employed as domestic helpers, gardeners and drivers.
He said that it was necessary to focus and identify which jobs had the most potential in solving the problem of unemployment.
Last year, some 6,991 people registered with the Labour Department as considered unemployed individuals. (ODM1)
The Brunei Times
Encouraging trend: Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof taking down notes during the meeting.Picture: BT/Ubaidillah Masli
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
BRUNEI'S latest unemployment figures for locals official registered with the Labour Department stands close to 5,089 people who are currently out there in search of jobs. The statistics update was disclosed yesterday during the Minister of Home Affairs' working visit to the Pusat Pekerjaan Tempatan, the Employment Centre for Locals, which was followed by a meeting where the centre's progress was discussed.
Previously, the figure stood at 6,025 unemployed locals, but with the help of the department, 936 of these individuals have managed to find jobs in the private and public sectors. According to the statistics, 83 per cent of those unemployed were individuals who left school before or just slightly after successfully completing their Secondary Five education.
Home Affairs Minister Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof stressed the importance of addressing the issue during the meeting with the officials from the Labour Department and the centre.
"(This is) a challenge we must face together as it is the role of the Pusat Pekerjaan Tempatan to ensure that these unemployed people are helped to find jobs in Brunei Darussalam," he said.
During the meeting, the minister was briefed on the functions of the centre's action plans and the progress of the special programme for unemployed graduates and school-leavers under the human resource fund which was organised by the Labour Department and supported by the Economic Planning and Development Department.
From the statistics, approximately 69 per cent of those in the private sector were foreign workers and only 31 per cent was local. Pehin Dato Hj Adanan said that the centre should work towards the target of increasing the private workforce to 50 per cent local and roughly 50 per cent foreign employees.
At present there was a total of 79,000 foreigners working in the private sector, not including those who were employed as domestic helpers, gardeners and drivers.
He said that it was necessary to focus and identify which jobs had the most potential in solving the problem of unemployment.
Last year, some 6,991 people registered with the Labour Department as considered unemployed individuals. (ODM1)
The Brunei Times
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Foreign workers more capable, say Bruneians
Foreign workers more capable, say Bruneians
Better service: Bruneians feel the foreign workers provide better services because they are here to earn money. Picture: BT/ Saifulizam
QISTINA RANGGA
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Thursday, September 18, 2008
FOREIGN front-line staff provide better services than their local co-workers, many Bruneians said. Diana Mohammad of Kuala Belait who visited the local hospital recently, said that foreign nurses are more caring compared to locals.
"I've been to the hospital several times over the years and usually I find the foreign nurses more caring and they seem to know more of what they're doing," said the 25-year-old.
Michael Shim, 37, said: "I went to this store to buy a pair shoes for my wife and the shop assistant, whom I believe is from Indonesia, took the trouble to call up its various outlets to see if they had the exact pair I wanted. Some Bruneians would just say no stock." Safura Hj Lamit, a local secondary school teacher said that she finds the foreign service staff more professional. "Unlike many foreign workers, some locals appear clueless sometimes," she said.
Computer technician Mia Azlan, 24, who went shopping at a popular shoes outlet in Kg Kiulap, said that some locals are reluctant to serve their customers.
"I was the only customer there and was standing there with a shoe in my hand, looking at five local assistants who only made a move to attend to my needs when I said something. Even that, it seemed insincere on their part, " she said.
Ampuan Hassan, 30, said that foreigners provide better services because they are here to earn money.
"The prospect of coming home empty-handed is not an option for them unlike many locals," he said, adding that many locals working in the service industry are on a temporary basis and many come from well-to-do families.
Another local entrepreneur who did not want to be named said that some foreigners do not mind working longer hours as they are single and their families are abroad.
The 29-year-old entrepreneur said that many foreign workers take pride in what they do and do their work well.
Nur Hafizah Hj Abu Bakar, who works for an IT solutions company, feels that the locals need to be given more training on serving customers better.
"There's nothing better than being served by your own nationals."
Last year, the wholesale and retail trade industry employed some 10,181 foreigners; the personal and social services industry (salons, tailors, barbers, car workshops) employed 7,716, while the hotel, restaurant and cafe industry employed 6,751 foreign workers.
However, it was recorded that there was an increase of 0.5 per cent in the number of locals employed in the personal and social services industry.
In addition, the number of locals employed in the wholesale and retail trade industry fell to 39.1 per cent compared to 40 per cent the previous year.
The Brunei Times
Better service: Bruneians feel the foreign workers provide better services because they are here to earn money. Picture: BT/ Saifulizam
QISTINA RANGGA
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Thursday, September 18, 2008
FOREIGN front-line staff provide better services than their local co-workers, many Bruneians said. Diana Mohammad of Kuala Belait who visited the local hospital recently, said that foreign nurses are more caring compared to locals.
"I've been to the hospital several times over the years and usually I find the foreign nurses more caring and they seem to know more of what they're doing," said the 25-year-old.
Michael Shim, 37, said: "I went to this store to buy a pair shoes for my wife and the shop assistant, whom I believe is from Indonesia, took the trouble to call up its various outlets to see if they had the exact pair I wanted. Some Bruneians would just say no stock." Safura Hj Lamit, a local secondary school teacher said that she finds the foreign service staff more professional. "Unlike many foreign workers, some locals appear clueless sometimes," she said.
Computer technician Mia Azlan, 24, who went shopping at a popular shoes outlet in Kg Kiulap, said that some locals are reluctant to serve their customers.
"I was the only customer there and was standing there with a shoe in my hand, looking at five local assistants who only made a move to attend to my needs when I said something. Even that, it seemed insincere on their part, " she said.
Ampuan Hassan, 30, said that foreigners provide better services because they are here to earn money.
"The prospect of coming home empty-handed is not an option for them unlike many locals," he said, adding that many locals working in the service industry are on a temporary basis and many come from well-to-do families.
Another local entrepreneur who did not want to be named said that some foreigners do not mind working longer hours as they are single and their families are abroad.
The 29-year-old entrepreneur said that many foreign workers take pride in what they do and do their work well.
Nur Hafizah Hj Abu Bakar, who works for an IT solutions company, feels that the locals need to be given more training on serving customers better.
"There's nothing better than being served by your own nationals."
Last year, the wholesale and retail trade industry employed some 10,181 foreigners; the personal and social services industry (salons, tailors, barbers, car workshops) employed 7,716, while the hotel, restaurant and cafe industry employed 6,751 foreign workers.
However, it was recorded that there was an increase of 0.5 per cent in the number of locals employed in the personal and social services industry.
In addition, the number of locals employed in the wholesale and retail trade industry fell to 39.1 per cent compared to 40 per cent the previous year.
The Brunei Times
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Jobless rate rising in Asean, says ILO
Jobless rate rising in Asean, says ILO
HADI DP MAHMUD
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Thursday, May 17, 2007
b>But figure skewed by Indonesia which has the region's largest labour force
MORE than 27 million jobs were created from year 2000 to last year in Southeast Asia, according to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
This represents an 11 per cent increase in total employment in the region, which stood at 263 million last year, the ILO said the report, which is a compilation of comprehensive employment and social statistics including labour productivity, employment by sector and the informal economy of Asean countries. It is the first of its kind, said the ILO.
The report stated that young people in the Asean region are being "disproportionately affected" in terms of unemployment.
The unemployment rate in Asean rose from 5 per cent to 6.6 per cent over the same period. However, this figure is skewed by the situation in Indonesia, which has the region's largest labour force. Unemployment in the world's most populous Muslim nation rose from 6.1 to 10.4 per cent.
According to the Brunei Darussalam Key Indicators 2006, there were 7,300 jobseekers in the sultanate last year. The unemployment rate in Brunei shot up 0.8 per cent from 2004 to 2005, and declined 0.3 per cent last year.
The United Nations-specialised agency called for Asean to increase labour productivity and narrow development gaps between members to ensure sustainable growth and build a thriving community by 2015.
The 107-page report, entitled Labour and Social Trends in Asean 2007: Integration, Challenges, Opportunities, warns that although unemployment is commonly seen as an important indicator, other crucial aspects of labour market performance deserve more attention. These include gender gaps, labour productivity, working conditions, the growing informal economy and the working poor. Despite recent economic growth, the region remains home to millions of poor.
Last year, more than half of Asean's 262 million workers earned less than US$2 per day, which leaves them and their families below the poverty line.
"What matters therefore, when evaluating labour market trends is not just the level of employment but also its nature and quality," the report stated.
The ILO warned Asean of its labour productivity, which is lagging far behind productivity bursts in India and China. Between 2000 and 2005, output per worker in Asean grew only 15.5 per cent compared to 26.9 in India and 63.4 per cent in China. "Because of its strong export-orientation, productivity growth is critical to Asean. Accelerating productivity growth is therefore essential, not only for competitiveness but for job creation and poverty reduction," the report noted.
Cross-border labour migration is being driven by uneven labour supply and persistent development gaps, the report added. In 2005, the total number of migrants originating from Asean was estimated at 13.5 million, 39 per cent of whom were in other Asean member countries.
"The large and growing number of irregular migrants means that managing migration and ensuring migrants' protection are becoming pressing issues a major task that Asean has now taken up with its recent Declaration and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers," the organisation said.
The Brunei Times
HADI DP MAHMUD
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Thursday, May 17, 2007
b>But figure skewed by Indonesia which has the region's largest labour force
MORE than 27 million jobs were created from year 2000 to last year in Southeast Asia, according to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
This represents an 11 per cent increase in total employment in the region, which stood at 263 million last year, the ILO said the report, which is a compilation of comprehensive employment and social statistics including labour productivity, employment by sector and the informal economy of Asean countries. It is the first of its kind, said the ILO.
The report stated that young people in the Asean region are being "disproportionately affected" in terms of unemployment.
The unemployment rate in Asean rose from 5 per cent to 6.6 per cent over the same period. However, this figure is skewed by the situation in Indonesia, which has the region's largest labour force. Unemployment in the world's most populous Muslim nation rose from 6.1 to 10.4 per cent.
According to the Brunei Darussalam Key Indicators 2006, there were 7,300 jobseekers in the sultanate last year. The unemployment rate in Brunei shot up 0.8 per cent from 2004 to 2005, and declined 0.3 per cent last year.
The United Nations-specialised agency called for Asean to increase labour productivity and narrow development gaps between members to ensure sustainable growth and build a thriving community by 2015.
The 107-page report, entitled Labour and Social Trends in Asean 2007: Integration, Challenges, Opportunities, warns that although unemployment is commonly seen as an important indicator, other crucial aspects of labour market performance deserve more attention. These include gender gaps, labour productivity, working conditions, the growing informal economy and the working poor. Despite recent economic growth, the region remains home to millions of poor.
Last year, more than half of Asean's 262 million workers earned less than US$2 per day, which leaves them and their families below the poverty line.
"What matters therefore, when evaluating labour market trends is not just the level of employment but also its nature and quality," the report stated.
The ILO warned Asean of its labour productivity, which is lagging far behind productivity bursts in India and China. Between 2000 and 2005, output per worker in Asean grew only 15.5 per cent compared to 26.9 in India and 63.4 per cent in China. "Because of its strong export-orientation, productivity growth is critical to Asean. Accelerating productivity growth is therefore essential, not only for competitiveness but for job creation and poverty reduction," the report noted.
Cross-border labour migration is being driven by uneven labour supply and persistent development gaps, the report added. In 2005, the total number of migrants originating from Asean was estimated at 13.5 million, 39 per cent of whom were in other Asean member countries.
"The large and growing number of irregular migrants means that managing migration and ensuring migrants' protection are becoming pressing issues a major task that Asean has now taken up with its recent Declaration and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers," the organisation said.
The Brunei Times
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Economic Growth Not Fast Enough, Say VC
Economic Growth Not Fast Enough, Say VC
By Shareen Han
Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's economy is not expanding fast enough to provide sufficient jobs for university graduates, said Universiti Brunei Darussalam's vice-chancellor.
It is a demand and supply problem, and some graduates are not willing to work in the private sector because they know that there are more benefits in the public sector, Dato Paduka Dr Hj Ismail Hj Duraman told The Brunei Times in a telephone interview yesterday.
"In the minds of locals, the private sector cannot compete with the public sector because it has more benefits compared to other countries that have a tax system," he said.
He said most locals need to "tackle their attitude first", in order to make the implementation of national policies more effective in the long term.
"It is a paradox that locals are not taking up the jobs, but foreign workers are taking it instead," he said.
One of the reasons why employers hire foreign workers is because they are cheaper and locals are too selective in choosing jobs which are mostly filled up by foreign labour, he said.
Moreover, some of the unemployed locals may come from well-to-do families, so they would rather enjoy life with their families, he said.
"There is no simple solution, a concerted effort by everyone is needed," he said, adding that graduates should be more proactive and take up any available job opportunities, including apprenticeship programmes.
"The attitude will only change when a crisis arises, because there is no shocking factor at the moment that they need to make a drastic change as the oil and gas is still there," he added.
The vice-chancellor said that one of UBD's roles is to equip students with the knowledge and skills, but employers are always looking for "something extra" in workplaces.
"Thus, I made the speech (at the 19th convocation ceremony) to graduates that they need to bring added value to the organisation that they work for," he said.
Dato Ismail also noted that UBD is currently doing research on unemployment in Brunei because the statistics that are currently available may not be accurate and regularly updated. There are 313 local jobseekers that fall under the technical, vocational and university graduates category, based on figures from the Labour Department for the month of June.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
By Shareen Han
Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's economy is not expanding fast enough to provide sufficient jobs for university graduates, said Universiti Brunei Darussalam's vice-chancellor.
It is a demand and supply problem, and some graduates are not willing to work in the private sector because they know that there are more benefits in the public sector, Dato Paduka Dr Hj Ismail Hj Duraman told The Brunei Times in a telephone interview yesterday.
"In the minds of locals, the private sector cannot compete with the public sector because it has more benefits compared to other countries that have a tax system," he said.
He said most locals need to "tackle their attitude first", in order to make the implementation of national policies more effective in the long term.
"It is a paradox that locals are not taking up the jobs, but foreign workers are taking it instead," he said.
One of the reasons why employers hire foreign workers is because they are cheaper and locals are too selective in choosing jobs which are mostly filled up by foreign labour, he said.
Moreover, some of the unemployed locals may come from well-to-do families, so they would rather enjoy life with their families, he said.
"There is no simple solution, a concerted effort by everyone is needed," he said, adding that graduates should be more proactive and take up any available job opportunities, including apprenticeship programmes.
"The attitude will only change when a crisis arises, because there is no shocking factor at the moment that they need to make a drastic change as the oil and gas is still there," he added.
The vice-chancellor said that one of UBD's roles is to equip students with the knowledge and skills, but employers are always looking for "something extra" in workplaces.
"Thus, I made the speech (at the 19th convocation ceremony) to graduates that they need to bring added value to the organisation that they work for," he said.
Dato Ismail also noted that UBD is currently doing research on unemployment in Brunei because the statistics that are currently available may not be accurate and regularly updated. There are 313 local jobseekers that fall under the technical, vocational and university graduates category, based on figures from the Labour Department for the month of June.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)