Hard Break Kid

The country’s leading corporations and businesses were out in force yesterday morning for the launch of the 2009 Energy Fair at the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien, most of them with one objective – to show the public that one can have fun without using power.

PetroleumBRUNEI, Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), BLNG, Brunei Shell Marketing, Brunei Methanol Company (BMC), Standard Chartered Bank and Baiduri Bank were a few of the corporations that participated in the fair alongside the Energy Division of the Prime Minister’s Office.

It was a significant event for the national effort in the conservation of energy, marking the launch of Energy Day by Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (R) Dato Seri Pahlawan Awang Haji Mohammad bin Haji Daud, Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Commending the efforts of all participants of the fair, the minister noted several factors that contribute to the depth and importance of the energy conservation efforts including the uncertainty of the worldwide economic recession affecting oil-importing countries, volatile oil prices, the continued sea exploration of resources requiring vast investments and the continuous search for alternative resources.

Volatile oil prices, in particular, have already made a significant impact on the country as revenue derived from crude oil is expected to decline in 2009, revealed the minister. The price of oil is currently hovering around US$50 per barrel from the highs of US$140 per barrel last June.

"While these conservation efforts deserve praise, it is not nearly enough to illustrate our commitment towards realising the government’s goals," he said.

"The people need to realise the value of oil subsidies and the cheap supply of electricity that they enjoy and not take advantage of them," he asserted.

The minister acknowledged the difficulties that might be faced by both consumers and producers but urged all parties including government agencies to take action in all aspects of energy conservation.

Giving an example of one such effort, the minister said that both government agencies and suppliers need "to find a way and consider all options to ensure that electrical equipment and foreign vehicles in the country are both energy efficient and reasonable in price".

With the participation of over a dozen institutions and corporations, the Energy Fair is just another small step towards raising awareness and instilling an eco-mindset among the relatively small population of Brunei Darussalam which has yet to fully embrace the importance of energy conservation and the value of the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Source Borneo Bulletin

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