Director of Planning from the Department of Economic Planning and Development, Brunei, attended ASEAN PPP Study Visit in the UK

Today, we have a guest blogger, Hj Aminuddin Hj Md Taib, who has just attended the ASEAN Public-Private-Partnership Study Visit in the UK arranged by our regional FCO Economic and Trade Policy Network.  Read on to find out what he has to say about his visit.

Back to UK, back home to London.

I was given the honour of being invited by the British government to attend a PPP programme with the UK Treasury in London. The invite was coordinated by the British High Commission both in Bandar Seri Begawan and Singapore. In the run up to departing for the UK, Nabilah at the Bandar Seri Begawan office was of great assistance in answering my questions and a source of information for everything related to the programme. Claire in the British High Commission office in Singapore was also very efficient in making sure we were up to speed with the logistical arrangements.

It was ironic that the week we arrived in the UK, it would be the coldest week in March. That though did not disappoint me, I am home. The hotel where we stayed is close to where I used to live when I was living and working in the UK in the 1990’s. Everything was in its familiar place. The first meal I had was kebab and chips at my favourite restaurant in Edgware Road. Breakfast at the hotel was made special, as I had a prime view of Hyde Park.

The week was not a blur of activities. We worked very hard. It was a business trip not a shopping trip. I only managed to get some shopping done on the last day of our course. Not a problem, as I returned to Brunei more knowledgeable about the UK experience with PPP. The UK Treasury was generous enough in allowing us to use their facilities for the programme. The building itself is a great example of a successful live PPP project. The bonus was being invited into the Churchill war museum in the basement of the Treasury complex, as it was part of the renovation exercise under the PPP programme, by the PPP project manager. That was a treat. I did not fully comprehend the pain and suffering of those who lived through those difficult times in world history. Television documentaries of that era afford you an emotional numbness of the hardships that was endured. To see the museum, its contents and artefacts made one more appreciative of the freedom accorded to us by those who put down their lives for us, the next generation.

The programme was not all subject matter discussions with practitioners in a room at the Treasury. We also visited 2 PPP projects. One was the Jo Richardson Community School. That project hit a chord. My father is a former teacher, he would be proud of the school facilities. For myself, an education facility, community centre and PPP, is a good recipe for success. The other project we visited is currently the largest European infrastructure project undertaken, the Cross Rail link. The day we visited them, it was announced in the local news that the Cross Rail link will now be extended to Reading. This will impact more people living outside of London who commute on public transport to work. The project will aim to make commuter travel time into central London down to less than an hour. From the business angle, the whole UK SME sector also benefits from this project since the project’s supply chain is mostly sourced within the UK. This is a great boost to the whole economy.

The last day of our time in London was more to do with presenting our feedback and being handed our certificates of completion presented to us by Lord Dyson, the Commerce Secretary. After that we had a business lunch with the UK ASEAN Business Council. In the final analysis, the whole programme was managed well by the International team in Infrastructure UK, our hosts. The week flew by like the cold wind. The following day, Saturday, we went our separate ways back to our own countries. On a personal note, I have kept up my trend of being in the UK for some period of time, once every decade, since the 1970’s. That is now 5 decades, I hope to continue that trend, as I am often home sick.