BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Brunei has established visa exemption arrangements with 67 countries, allowing visitors to stay for 14 to 90 days to support its tourism industry, Haji Ahmaddin Haji Abdul Rahman, Brunei's minister of home affairs, has said.
During Brunei's Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, the minister said that the visa exemption agreement not only facilitates travel, but also promotes the development of Brunei's tourism sector, which is rich in cultural heritage, historical sites, and natural attractions.
Brunei, a Southeast Asian country on the northern coast of Borneo, is home to some of the world's oldest tropical rainforests, with over 70 percent of its land covered by lush green jungles.
Haji Abdul Manaf Metussin, Brunei's minister of primary resources and tourism, highlighted efforts to preserve the country's flora and fauna. The ministry enforces the Forestry Act, Chapter 46, to regulate the exploitation of forestry products and ensure sustainable resource management.
The minister emphasized that this is to ensure that resources are preserved and that forestry resources are sustainable to maintain the country's biodiversity and to manage them wisely.
Brunei's Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism is collaborating with the Royal Brunei Police Force and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces to combat illegal exploitation, according to the minister. ■
