Brunei electricity department to be privatized next year: minister

Brunei is working on privatizing the Department of Electrical Services (DES) next year, freeing it of the responsibility to look after power plants and power transmission, said Mohammad Yasmin, Brunei's Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister's Office.

According to local news report on Friday, the minister said that work is in progress to privatize the DES, which will lead to more efficient provision of power and its services.

This will be part of reforms with the Electricity Order providing the legal framework for licensing the generation, transmission and distribution or supply of electricity for own use including households or by a third party. The order is expected to be rolled out next year.

"When the DES is privatized, DES will no longer look after the production of the power plants and the transmission of power. We will corporatize the power plants," he said.

The Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister's Office will become the licence provider and the regulator, the report said.

The minister added that through privatizing the DES, the government is anticipated to save hundreds of millions of Brunei dollars every year and an efficient power system.

"For the public, there will be a much more efficient service provided. It also means there will be reduced time of power outages," he added. Endit