BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

SEVEN strategic goals on the progression of the Brunei Maritime Academy (BMA), including adequate wages and job security, were outlined by the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Employees (graduates of the BMA will be) given suitable wages. On average, the starting salary for offshore staff is at least $1,000, and this does not include benefits such as offshore allowance and overtime,” Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Col (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yasmin Hj Umar said yesterday.

He added that job security will also be provided by revising contracts to include a roll-over clause for new contractors to take over local employees from previous contractors of Brunei Shell Petroleum in the maritime sector.

The strategic goals also included ensuring training courses and content for the BMA are industry-ready.

The EDMPO will prepare reasonable and considerate terms and conditions for employees such as 10-day mandatory leaves for each month spent onboard the vessels.

Employers will also be required to consider payment for off-duty days, compared to previously, when payment only covered days spent offshore.

“These conditions have been included in contracts of the companies involved. While on land, employees will also be provided with relevant courses and training to improve staff-employer interaction and allows employers to be knowledgeable of staff welfare.”

“It will also open up employment opportunities for locals via the enforcement of Local Business Development by capping the target to local workforce for contractors of Brunei Shell Petroleum at 50 to 90 per cent,” added YB Pehin Dato Hj Mohd Yasmin.

The EDPMO will also make sure that job opportunities in the maritime industry are properly advertised and promoted, in platforms such as at job fairs.

The energy minister also shared that a site around Sungai Duhun in the Belait District has already been identified as a suitable location for the BMA to be built upon.

The first intake of the BMA will start next month, with a target of 200 trainees annually, he added.

The contract to establish the academy was signed early last month, between the Singapore equivalent and Brunei’s Ministry of Education (MoE), to provide the curriculum and professional teaching workforce.

It was previously reported that the BMA will be under the purview of the MoE, driven by the EDPMO and supported by the Ministry of Communications.

YB Pehin Dato Hj Mohd Yasmin was responding to Belait District Representative YB Hj Mohd Shafiee Ahmad, who asked what was the EDPMO’s contribution to the BMA’s development during the eighth day of the 10th LegCo session yesterday.

The Brunei Times