Brunei Street Directory launched

By Haji Minor Absah and James Kon

To better find your way around the streets and interesting places in the country, the Survey Department under the Ministry of Development in collaboration with Dr Kazimierz Becek of UBD and Brunei Press Sdn Bhd yesterday launched the new Brunei Darussalam Street Directory in a grand ceremony at the Ministry of Development.

Officially launching the new Street Directory was Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Hj Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, the Minister of Development.

The minister said, "The Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam is aware of the importance of geospatial information as one of the main forces for the progress of a nation.

"The Ministry of Development through the Survey Department has long since identified the importance of geospatial information as a spatial instrument to provide a competitive edge for our country in the digital era.

"The launching of the new Brunei Darussalam Street Directory today is one of the many good examples of cooperation between the government and private sector. The government is represented by Survey Department and Universiti Brunei Darussalam while the private sector, Brunei Press, the publisher of main newspaper in Brunei Darussalam.

"I hope that the lesson learned from the cooperation will became an example and continuous guide for all parties on the importance of developing the country," he said.

The minister said that the Brunei Street Directory 2008 is the most up-to-date and comprehensive in terms of the coverage of areas in Brunei Darussalam. A similar publication was made 12 years ago and there are obvious distinctions between the two publications because the country has fast developed since then, he said.

After the launching, the minister presented a token of appreciation to the sponsors.

The Brunei Darussalam Street Directory, a 144-page book which includes the latest street maps and essential tourist information, is targeted at locals, tourists and expatriates. The maps are simple, clear and user friendly, while information on places of interest, dining and shopping, hotels and travel agents, transportation, road safety are also featured in the street directory.

Dr Kazimierz Becek, a senior lecturer at UBD, and competent cartographer with 25 years of professional experience, took about two years to create the maps.

The Survey Department, in its role as the country's competent authority on maps, has verified the accuracy and usability of the maps in the book.

The Brunei Darussalam Street Directory is priced at $14.90 and will hit the shelves of bookstores, selected hotels and shops across the country.

For further information, the public can contact 8160055, 8777656 in the Bandar areas, while for KB the contact number is 3334345.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin