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X-ray inspection vans introduce for vehicles passing through Brunei’s control posts
 
    In order to facilitate and expedite the process of inspecting vehicles at the main control posts in Brunei Darussalam, the government has provided three x-ray inspection vans. A blessing ceremony for the three vans was held Wednesday at the Investigation and Traffic Control Department of the Royal Brunei Police Force in Gadong. Present to officiate at the “menepung tawar”  
 

or blessing ritual was the Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Dato Paduka Haji Adanan. Also present was the Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Director of Internal Security Department, Dato Paduka Haji Eussoff Agaki.

  
  At the function, the Minister of Home Affairs also presented certificates to 30 participants of a basic course for operators of the x-ray inspection vans. They were from four government agencies namely the Royal Brunei Police Force, the Royal Custom and Excise Department, the Ministry of Defence and the Internal Security Department. The x-ray vans will be used not only for monitoring vehicles    
 

passing through the entrance and exits at the main control posts, but also for patrolling specific areas. Each x-ray van is capable of scanning organic and non-organic objects through vehicles of any size and revealing whatever objects that are kept or hidden in a vehicle even from a quick by-pass of the vehicle. It is hoped that the use of these x-ray vans will help the authorities concerned in combating criminal activities including smuggling of controlled goods to and from the country.

  
 

2nd China-ASEAN Expo and Summit aims to exchange views on various economic issues

 
  The Second China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit are executed to play active roles in realizing the common goals of China and ASEAN to achieve 100 billion US dollars in annual trade volume by the year 2005 as well as to establish a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, CAFTA, by the year 2010. Both events are to be held from the 19th to the 22nd of October this year in    
  Nanning, in China’s Guangxi Province. The matter was highlighted by the Deputy Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Wednesday at the China-ASEAN Expo Promotion Seminar.
 		  
    Dato Paduka Haji Hamdillah in his speech also said what is relevant to Brunei is the country’s portion of the 100 billion dollars. Brunei Darussalam’s goal is to achieve 1 billion US dollars in trade with China by 2010. Dato Haji Hamdillah further said that for this forthcoming Expo and Summit, the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources will be soliciting a substantially bigger budget and  
 

better planned preparation. On top of that, he said, the Ministry remains committed and will always endeavour to facilitate the networking before and during the events. The China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit aims to provide a forum for government, business and academic leaders to exchange views on various economic issues leading to the common goals mentioned and for Brunei’s industry leaders to air their concerns with regards to impediments to trade and to resolve them as much as possible. The seminar took place at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resource’s building in Berakas.

  
 

Agencies encouraged developing training courses and seminars for young engineers

 
  The cement industry continues to be one of the largest industries in Brunei Darussalam, after oil and gas. Demand for cement last year was at 0.24 million metric tonnes, and is expected to rise to a quarter million metric tonnes this year. Production of cement last year increased by 2.3 percent to 241,872 tonnes and this year, total domestic production is projected to increase by 5    
 

percent. This was revealed by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Development, Awang Haji Jumin bin Haji Marsal at the opening of a seminar on “The Role Of Cement In Concrete”.
 

  
    With this in view, the Ministry of Development encourages initiatives by various agencies including the private sector to develop courses, training and seminars targeted at young engineers, to provide tools for them to become productive and effective members of any development team. Appropriate seminars and trainings, such as the one held Wednesday, will complement one’s    
 

experience at the university but put emphasis on experience gained through practical learning. The day-long seminar, organised by Brunei Class 6 Contractors, discussed issues and solutions of the role of cement in concrete.

  
 

Health Ministry organizes roadshow on Accident and Emergency

 
  The number of patients treated at the Accident and Emergency Service Section of the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha or RIPAS Hospital has doubled in less than a decade - from 38 thousand in 1996 to more than seventy-five thousand people last year. The statistics were revealed by the medical officer from the RIPAS Hospital, Doctor Haji Mohamad Kartono during a roadshow on Accident and Emergency and Health Centre Services, Wednesday. It took place at the Seri Begawan Religious Teachers College in the capital and was organised by the Ministry of Health.
 		       
  According to Doctor Haji Mohamad Kartono, among the patients coming to the Accident and Emergency Service Section last year, the non-urgent cases made up the largest number of about sixty thousand patients. This was followed by around fourteen thousands patients under semi-urgent cases and only 512 were referred to as urgent cases. The Emergency and Accident Section among other things handles early treatments for trauma cases, accidents, other serious injuries as well as referral cases needing specialists’ treatment.  
    The roadshow also includes a briefing by the Acting Senior Health Officer at the Health Services Department, Doctor Haji Zulhilmi bin Pehin Dato Paduka Haji Abdullah on health centre services in providing treatments for non-urgent cases such as cold and fever. The two-day roadshow is being held with the objective of providing in depth information and knowledge to the public especially on the roles and functions of both services. The roadshow continues today with several more activities such as collecting blood donations, a health exhibition and emergency drill at the same venue.