By command of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam during a special Titah (titah perutusan khas) on COVID-19 on 13 April 2020 has consented for the relevant ministries to collaborate in the development of a National Welfare System which will be launched in July, InsyaAllah. In His Majesty's special titah, His Majesty is well aware that even before and also after the spread of COVID-19, there are many still in the community that requires assistance from the Government. Insya Allah, with this new system it will be easier for them to make their applications to the Government.
In this regard, Ministry of Finance and Economy in collaboration with Ministry of Religious Affairs; Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports; Ministry of Education; and Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, would like to inform that by the command of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam, starting 15th July 2020, this system can be accessed by those who wish to apply for the Monthly Welfare Assistance (Bantuan Kebajikan Bulanan - BKB) administered by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (Majlis Ugama Islam Brunei - MUIB) Zakat Fund for the Asnaf Fakir dan Miskin. At the same time, those who are currently registered with JAPEM and MUIB can also use the system to update their information from the date mentioned.
SKN will be accessible through the website www.skn.gov.bn, either by using computer or smartphones. At this stage, online applications are only open to citizens and residents of Brunei Darussalamwho intend to apply for the 'Monthly Welfare Assistance (BKB)' scheme operated by JAPEM, KKBS and Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB). While other welfare can be applied for manually as usual to JAPEM and MUIB and InsyaAllah the application for those welfare will be made available online in by future phases.
The system was developed for the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Economy along with other agencies such as the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Education, and is aimed at aligning the processes involved in the provision of assistances by the respective agencies.
In addition, InsyaAllah SKN will also help to enhance cooperation in sharing information through the establishment of a centralised database, of which of such information can then be used to improve the effectiveness of the other assistance programs provided in the country, as part of the Government's efforts to raise welfare recipients out of poverty and ensure that the assistance provided are to those who truly needs it. At the same time, it will also help the Government to conduct assessments in a more transparent manner and ensure that there would be no leakage and negligence in the distribution of such assistance.
SKN will utilise a National Criteria as a baseline for aligning and calculating the eligibility of applicants to receive assistance. This includes aligning the use and calculation of the Minimum Cost of Basic Needs (KMKA) to assess each applicant's poverty level.
In this regard, a roadshow to disseminate information about SKN will be made to the Penghulu-Penghulu dan Ketua-Ketua Kampong in all districts starting tomorrow. Given the current situation of the COVID-19 outbreak, and as advised by the Ministry of Health, the entry to the venue halls will require participants to firstly scan the QR Code via the BruHealth System. The Penghulu-Penghulu dan Ketua-Ketua Kampong are advised to update the information in their respective BruHealth application before attending the intended roadshow. The Ministry of Home Affairs will issue a letter of invitation to the Penghulu-Penghulu dan Ketua-Ketua Kampong for this purpose.
The following are the dates and venue for the roadshow;
a. For the Brunei and Muara District, Roadshows will be held for 3 days beginning Tuesday, June 23 (tomorrow) until Thursday, June 25th, at the Theater Hall, Ministry of Finance and Economy;
b. For the Belait District, the Roadshow will be held on Tuesday, June 30th at the Kuala Belait Conference Hall;
c. For the Tutong District, the Roadshow will be held on Wednesday, July 1st at the Main Hall, Tutong Community Complex; and
d. For Temburong District, the Roadshow will be held on Thursday, July 2nd at the Community Hall, Temburong District Office.
e. All of the mentioned Roadshows will start from 8:30 am to 10:30 am and 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. It is hoped that all the Penghulu-Penghulu dan Ketua-Ketua Kampong will come at the date and time specified in the invitation letter issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Further details on the SKN were presented by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
