Stories by Shareen Han on The Scoop

Rising petrochemical exports offset COVID-19 impact as Brunei economy grows 2.8% in Q2 The Brunei economy fared better than expected but aviation and hotel sectors suffer major losses

October 27, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – The Brunei economy grew 2.8 percent in the second quarter of 2020, buoyed by increased exports of petrochemical products…

CSPS: Gov’t faces tough budget decisions amid lower oil revenue The think tank warns that holding back on spending will harm economic growth

October 27, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Difficult choices loom for the Brunei government on cutting spending or introducing new taxes to balance its budget in…

COVID-19 tally rises to 147 with one new imported case Brunei has not reported local transmission of the virus for 161 days

October 14, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Brunei recorded one new imported COVID-19 case on Wednesday, bringing the overall tally of coronavirus infections to 147. The…

MoH: 7,000 people living with mental illness COVID-19 pandemic has heightened levels of anxiety, depression and social isolation

October 9, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – About 7,000 people are being treated for mental illnesses in Brunei, the latest health ministry figures showed. Nearly 4,000…

Entry-exit fees come into force at land border, but lowered rates will be given to frequent commuters New regulations also require foreign-registered vehicles to obtain vehicle pass stickers before entering Brunei

October 1, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Bruneian and Malaysian land border travellers can apply for a frequent commuters pass that allows them to pay discounted…

BruHealth expands features with appointment bookings, access to medical records The app will use artificial intelligence to transform healthcare delivery in Brunei

September 25, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Brunei residents will soon be able to book medical appointments and access their health records through the BruHealth mobile…

Royal Brunei Airlines retrenches foreign pilots The flag carrier is looking to cut more costs as it struggles to stay afloat amid the pandemic

September 25, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Royal Brunei (RB) Airlines has started laying off foreign pilots and is finding additional ways to cut costs as…

Brunei relaxes curbs on foreign arrivals Mandatory isolation for new arrivals will now range from two to 14 days, depending on risk level of country of departure

September 4, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Foreign nationals will be allowed to enter Brunei for essential travel from September 15, a move signalling the start…

Brunei, Singapore set up ‘green lane’ for essential travel Travellers will not be required to isolate for two weeks as Brunei slowly resumes international travel in September

September 1, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Brunei is set to gradually reopen its borders in September following an agreement with Singapore to establish a “reciprocal…

COVID-19 tally reaches 144 with one new case The government has yet to decide on lifting travel ban despite Singapore reopening its borders to Bruneians from September 1

August 25, 2020

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – An inbound passenger from India HAS tested positive for the coronavirus, raising Brunei’s COVID-19 tally to 144. The 36-year-old…