Brunei records 2.4% economy growth in Q1

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 17 (Xinhua): Brunei's economy grew by 2.4 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020, the latest statistical figures released by the country's Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS) at the Ministry of Finance and Economy has shown. According to DEPS, the growth was contributed by the increase in the non-oil and gas sector by 10.9 percent. Meanwhile, the oil and gas sector recorded a decrease by four per cent. In the meantime, domestic demand registered a negative growth of 12.4 percent, particularly in capital expenditure. The government on Thursday also said that Brunei reported no new cases of Covid-19 with the national tally standing at 141. It marked the 70th consecutive day without new cases. According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, no active cases are being treated at the National Isolation Centre Meanwhile, currently there are 455 individuals who are undergoing mandatory isolation at the monitoring centres provided by the government. There have been three deaths from COVID-19 in brunei and a total of 138 patients have recovered. - Xinhua