Dealing with Construction Permits in
Brunei Darussalam
Listed below is detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse —including obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections.
The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.
-
Building a warehouse
-
Estimated Warehouse Value:
BND 845,000
- City: Bandar Seri Begawan
| No. |
Procedure |
Time to Complete |
Associated Costs |
| 1 |
Obtain lot plan from Survey Department or Land Department
The lot plan for a particular property may be obtained from either the Survey Department or the Land Department, depending on the area where the property is located. Upon fee payment, the applicant receives a copy of the ordinance survey sheet. This over-the-counter procedure is completed in a few minutes; the clerk prints a copy, accepts payment, and issues a receipt.
Agency: Survey and Land Departments
|
1 day
|
BND 15
|
| 2 |
Obtain preliminary approval from the Brunei Industrial Development Authority
The project must receive preliminary approval from the Brunei Industrial Development Authority, a section of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources. This state authority approves the project as a whole and does not review the project’s technical details. After it approves the project, the authority sends BuildCo a letter stating that it has no objections and that the company may apply for planning approval from the Town and Country Planning Department or the appropriate controlling authority.
After receiving the authority’s approval, the applicant’s architects prepare for the reviewing authorities the drawings and technical specifications of the project in sufficient detail (e.g., number of parking spaces, water drainage, natural daylight amounts, sprinkler systems, fire and safety systems).
Agency: Brunei Industrial Development Authority
|
7 days
|
no charge
|
| 3 |
Obtain planning permission from the Town and Country Planning Department
To obtain building approval, BuildCo submits the drawings, lot plan, title deed, and proof of land tax payment in person to the Town and Country Planning Department, the Municipal Board of Bandar Seri Begawan (for construction in the capital’s central district), or the Land Department. (These three agencies have jurisdiction over land in different areas of the capital.) Up until July 2007, most applications fell under the jurisdiction of the Town and Country Planning Department. Beginning in August 2007, however, the jurisdiction of the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Board expanded from 12.87 sq. km. km² to over 100 sq. km.
On receipt of the submission, the controlling authority will give BuildCo a blank approval form to be used in the approval process. The fee for the new construction form is BND 16.
BuildCo also makes separate submissions with seven other agencies (see steps below), tailoring the submission to each agency’s requirements. Only after BuildCo has received an approval memorandum from each of the eight agencies, and has amended the submission according to the agencies’ comments, can the developer submit the drawings and documents for final approval.
If the Department has comments on the plan, it will contact BuildCo by letter. BuildCo must then amend and resubmit the plan and drawings, also by mail.
The relevant government agencies must issue an approval memorandum within 14 days. In practice, it takes much longer—partly because eight different agencies are involved—and after 14 days, applicants begin to follow up with each agency separately. It takes 3 to 5 months for BuildCo to obtain the approval memoranda for all eight agencies—6 to 7 months if no follow-up is made.
Once the Town and Country Planning Department issues the final approval, construction may proceed. As a professional courtesy, companies often notify the relevant municipal authority (Town and Country Planning Department, Municipal Board, or Land Department) when construction begins, but this is not required. No public notice of construction is required.
Agency: Town and Country Planning Department
|
120 days
|
BND 436
|
| * 4 |
Obtain project clearance from the Land Department
BuildCo must submit only drawings and documents relevant to the Lands Department. If this authority has any comments on the plan, it will send BuildCo a letter by postal mail. BuildCo must then amend and resubmit the plan and drawings, by mail.
Agency: Land Department
|
14 days
|
no charge
|
| * 5 |
Obtain project clearance from the Public Health Departement
BuildCo must submit only drawings and documents relevant to the Public Health Department. If this authority has comments on the plan, it will send BuildCo a letter by postal mail. BuildCo must then amend and resubmit the plan and drawings, by mail.
Agency: Public Health Department, Ministry of Health
|
14 days
|
no charge
|
| * 6 |
Obtain project clearance from the Public Works Department (JKR)
BuildCo must submit only drawings and documents relevant to the Public Works Department. If the authority has comments on the plan, it will send BuildCo a letter by postal mail. BuildCo must then amend and resubmit the plan and drawings, by mail.
The Public Works Department has four separate subdivisions with jurisdiction over roads, sewage, drains, and water. The department’s Development Control Unit coordinates the transmittal of applications to these subdivisions and gathers separate approvals from each subdivision before preparing a final approval memorandum.
Agency: Public Works Department (JKR)
|
14 days
|
no charge
|
| * 7 |
Obtain project clearance from the Fire Services Department
BuildCo must submit only drawings and documents relevant to the Fire Department. If this authority has comments on the plan, it will send BuildCo a letter by postal mail. BuildCo must then amend and resubmit the plan and drawings, by mail.
The Fire Services Department is the only one of the eight agencies that charges a fee for either the plan submission or approval.
Agency: Fire Services Department
|
14 days
|
BND 5
|
| * 8 |
Obtain project clearance from the Department of Electrical Services (DES)
BuildCo must submit only drawings and documents relevant to the Department of Electrical Services. If the authority has comments on the plan, it will send BuildCo a letter by postal mail. BuildCo must then amend and resubmit the plan and drawings, by mail
Agency: Department of Electrical Services (DES)
|
14 days
|
no charge
|
| * 9 |
Obtain project clearance from TelBru (telecommunications)
BuildCo is required to submit only drawings and documents relevant to Telekom Brunei Berhad. If TelBru has comments on the plan, it will send BuildCo a letter and will request the plans to be picked up in person. BuildCo must then amend and resubmit the plan and drawings, by mail.
Agency: Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru)
|
14 days
|
no charge
|
| * 10 |
Obtain project clearance from Brunei Mauara District Office
Buildco must submit only drawings and documents relevant to the Brunei Mauara District Office. If the District Office has comments on the plan, it will contact send BuildCo a letter, by mail. BuildCo must then amend and resubmit the plan and drawings, by mail.
Agency: Brunei Mauara District Office
|
14 days
|
no charge
|
| 11 |
Request and receive final inspection from the Town and Country Planning Department
In practice, to time the inspection with the end of construction, this step is often taken 2–3 weeks before construction is complete.
Agency: Town and Country Planning Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 12 |
Request and receive final inspection from the Land Department
Agency: Land Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 13 |
Request and receive final inspection from the Public Health Department
Agency: Public Health Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 14 |
Request and receive final inspection from the Public Works Department (JKR)
Agency: Public Works Department (JKR)
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 15 |
Request inspection from the Fire Services Department and pay fees
The Fire Services Department is the only agency that charges a fee for inspecting the completed warehouse.
Agency: Fire Services Department
|
1 day
|
BND 750
|
| * 16 |
Receive final inspection from the Fire Services Department
Agency: Fire Services Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 17 |
Request and receive final inspection from the Department of Electrical Services (DES)
Agency: Department of Electrical Services (DES)
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 18 |
Request and receive final inspection from TelBru
Agency: Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru)
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 19 |
Request and receive final inspection from the Brunei Mauara District Office
Agency: Brunei Mauara District Office
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 20 |
Obtain approval memorandum from the Town and Country Planning Department
Agency: Town and Country Planning Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 21 |
Obtain approval memorandum from the Land Department
Agency: Land Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 22 |
Obtain approval memorandum from the Public Health Departement
Agency: Public Health Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 23 |
Obtain approval memorandum from the Public Works Department (JKR)
Agency: Public Works Department (JKR)
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 24 |
Obtain approval memorandum from the Fire Services Department
Agency: Fire Services Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 25 |
Obtain approval memorandum from the Department of Electrical Services (DES)
Agency: Department of Electrical Services (DES)
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 26 |
Obtain approval memorandum from TelBru (telecommunications)
Agency: Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru)
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| * 27 |
Obtain approval memorandum from Brunei Mauara District Office
Agency: Brunei Mauara District Office
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 28 |
Submit all 8 approval memoranda to the Town and Country Planning Department along with 2 sets of as-built Drawings
Agency: Town and Country Planning Department
|
1 day
|
no charge
|
| 29 |
Obtain occupancy permit
Agency: Town and Country Planning Department
|
14 days
|
no charge
|
| 30 |
Obtain telephone connection from TelBru
TelBru, as of January 2009, updated its fee schedule for connecting to fixed telephone line. The new installation fee is BND 50, Deposit BND 50, and Rental (1 month) –BND 13. Total is BDN 113.
New internal standards for customer satisfaction on new installation targets as follows:
- within 3 days -70%
- within 7 days- 90%
- within 14 days- 100%
In locations where existing infrastructure allows proper connection without increasing the capacity, fixed line installation may take 3 days.
Agency: Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru)
|
3 days
|
BND 113
|
| * 31 |
Obtain water connection from JKR
Agency: Public Works Department (JKR)
|
1 day
|
BND 500
|
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.