Because I have totally sidetracked in the previous post, I have decided to write about this in a separate post. Right. Today’s post in The Daily Brunei Resources touched on (very lightly) the issue of making Brunei more competetive. After waffling around his blog post a little bit he mentioned a study by Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) that outlined the following “strategic initiatives” that Brunei must go though to increase competetiveness:

Firstly targeting specific clusters – the 4 prioritized clusters are financial services, hospitality and tourism, business services and transportation and logistics;

Secondly, building the Brunei brand: showcase the relative easiness to do business in Brunei. Build on the country’s safe and stable reputation and broadening the base of the economy;

Thirdly, driving key policy reforms. The slow government decision-making process needs to reviewed, alongside the lack of transparency and the lack of recourse arising from potential disputes; and

Finally empowering the public-private sector collaboration.

From my own point of view, the four initiatives mentioned above NEEDS A LOT OF HARD WORK! A total makeover, if I must use the word, for the way Brunei is run, from the first point to the very last!

However, if I had my way, I would put the third point, as the very first. Why? Because I sincerely believe that the slow decision making, the red tape, the lack of transparency, IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. If we manage to remedy that, I can only see roses and rainbows for the future of Brunei.

The first and second points are moves to make Brunei more more attractive and sexy, to rich businessmen, because ultimately, what we want is a sugar daddy to invest millions into the country. See it in this perspective:

– What a sugar daddy wants, is a woman, who has a lot of bank accounts so he can deposit money whenever and whereever because if everything is in cash, his wife won’t find out (financial services).

– A woman that is very friendly, and is a lot of fun to be with, because what is the use of giving money to a woman who is boring (hospitality and tourism).

– A woman who has everything, she can massage you if you’re tense, and self sufficient,  has her own condoms, massage oil and chocolate sauce (business services)

– A woman who is easilly accesible, she can fly to Shanghai to see you, and you can fly to Brunei from Idaho to see her (transportation & logistics)

SECOND initiative,

– A woman with bendy limbs, drinks Kacip Fatimah and an intrauterine device installed (easiness to do business, low risk)

– She’s not married, and is in no hurry to be married and no one is concerned of who is paying for her luxurious apartment (safe and stable reputation)

THIRD initiative,

Imagine, a woman who is slow in her decision making,

Potential sugar daddy: Baby, can I come over your place tonight? The wife is being high maintenance. (Translation: Brunei, can I do business with you because Malaysia is asking too much money from me)

Unsexy Brunei Business Scene: Emm I don’t know. Well… I’ll have to see if I am free, and you’d need to fill in this form and then you’d have to marry me. (Translation: Red tape, and slow decision making)

Now imagine, a woman who is opposite of the woman above,

Potential sugar daddy: Baby, can I come over your place tonight? The wife is being high maintenance.

Sexy Brunei Business Scene: Oh, come on over baby, I’ll show you a good time. You’ll beg to stay at the end of the night. (Translation: Well, come on and see what we can do for you, Malaysia will never be able to compete.)

There, I once again will say, what we want is to be sexy! Lazy, complacent women are not sexy. We want to be young and vibrant. Then sugar daddies come flocking to do ‘business’!

Not convinced with my point of view? Then ask the very economically advanced Japanese why they are so famous for their Geishas.