29 August 2022
The Bruneian, original story can be found here
The Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam (MPABD), in partnership with Brunei Gas Carriers (BGC), the Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE), and the Manpower Planning and Employment Council (MPEC) recently hosted the country’s first National Maritime Dialogue (NMD).
The dialogue aims to provide a platform for the local maritime community to highlight and showcase areas of interest in maritime development—critical to the nation’s readiness to support the growth of the maritime industry.
It also serves as an avenue for the local maritime community to pause, focus, learn, and reflect on the key learnings across the maritime industry.
In his remarks, Chief Executive of MPABD Captain Abdul Mateen Abdurrahman Liew, who is also Managing Director of BGC, highlighted the critical role that the maritime industry plays in providing employment to aspiring cadets and mariners to explore the diverse employment opportunities available within the local maritime industry.
Through the dialogue, he hoped that all the industry players and relevant stakeholders can build on this relationship to cultivate the right maritime ecosystem which investigates all aspects of maritime development, including elevating competency standards following internationally recognised accreditations.
The National Maritime Dialogue also inaugurated two important cooperation milestones through the signing of a Service Agreement between BGC and IBTE and the Secondment Agreement between BGC and Brupars.
Moreover, Deputy Chief Executive of MPABD Mohammad Bahreen Dato Haji Hamzah delivered a keynote on the topic Manpower Demand in the Global Perspective.
He shared some insights on the increasing demand for seafarers around the world, indicating the limitless potential for local seafarers to venture beyond the Brunei shores for a competitive career in maritime.
The first-panel discussion was organised with representatives from MPABD, MPEC, BGC, Brunei Maritime Academy (BMA), and Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE) on the topic of “Brunei’s readiness to meet the future demand for seafaring in the changing environment.”
The discussion helped shed some light on the impact of COVID-19 on shipping companies not just in Brunei but also globally, highlighting the need to adapt to the volatile nature of the industry, and recognising the vital role that seafarers play in supporting international trade.
YB PG Dato Seri Setia Shamhary Pg Dato Paduka Hj Mustapha, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications
In attendance at the dialogue was Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Yang Berhormat Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha.
In celebration of this year’s Day of the Seafarer 2022, with the theme “Your Voyage—Then and Now, Share Your Journey”, a second-panel discussion took place in the afternoon involving representatives from the Manpower Industry Steering Committee (MISC), BGC, Brupars, and Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP).
The panelists highlighted some of the major improvements made throughout the years in the areas of operations, technology, and standards — giving the audience a brief overview of Brunei’s early maritime history.
The key highlight of the dialogue was the official launch of the Brunei Darussalam Maritime Competency Framework, jointly developed by the relevant industry stakeholders through the Manpower Industry Steering Committee (MISC), with the objective of standardising the requirements and competencies for the maritime industry of Brunei Darussalam.
The competency framework also ensures that Bruneian Seafarers are recognised globally, based on formally adopted international requirements, including certifications, and training standards, including the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) standard, which is one of the four pillars of Maritime Law.
The National Maritime Dialogue concluded with the award presentation ceremony to recipients of the Brunei Darussalam Certificate of Competence, followed by a networking session.
Following the success of the first National Maritime Dialogue, MPABD together with its partners plans to sustain this networking platform by making it an annual event, for the benefit of all stakeholders and to cater to the development of the local maritime industry.
