The first British resident, Malcolm McArthur, played a crucial role in stabilising the country's governance and geographical order by implementing key reforms.

the nation's first 5-Year Development Plan was started when the State Council authorised $100 million for the five-year term, because of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III's leadership.

The principal objectives were to improve living conditions, modernise the nation while maintaining the framework of the Melayu Islam Beraja, raise Brunei's standing in Southeast Asia, and expand the non-oil and gas sector.

[9] Other than that, the government started relocating Kampong Ayer's population to the land in the 1950s with the goal of granting them the ability to own property and raise crops to support themselves.

Diversification and the reduction of regional growth inequalities were the main economic goals of NDP 2, with a sustained increase in per capita GDP being given top priority.

With an emphasis on enhancing fisheries and forest productivity, as well as raising agricultural output through pilot projects for both new and current crops including coffee, groundnuts, and maize, the main objective was to provide necessary economic and social infrastructure.

[24] In order to draw in both international and domestic investment in industrial endeavors, the Economic Development Board was also established, based on Singapore's model, mainly by providing tax breaks and other advantages.

[25] The fourth national development plan, which has a $2.2 billion budget, has a strong emphasis on advancing and promoting the people's social, cultural, and economic well-being.

In order to achieve an annual GDP growth rate of at least 6% and a yearly rise in per capita income of 4%, it implemented a number of fiscal and development initiatives.

High employment rates, economic diversification through non-oil industries and agriculture, inflation management, income inequality reduction, education expansion, and the construction of rural clinics were among the goals of the plan.

Notwithstanding these initiatives, a downturn in oil output and prices caused the GDP to fall by more than 4%, although employment growth surpassed forecasts, increasing by almost 4.5 percent.

[29] Aiming to create 40,000 employment in the manufacturing, finance, and service sectors, B$5.5 billion was allotted to support around 2,000 projects in order to develop a sustainable and varied economic basis.

To make internet access easier, the BruNet service was launched in 1995. Notable IT advancements during RKN 7 included the establishment of official and local organisation websites.

Additionally, research were conducted to strengthen government finances, develop the downstream oil and gas industry, expand the private sector, and enhance strategic areas and infrastructure for industrialisation and privatisation.

As part of RKN 8, the Department of Civil Aviation plans to transform Brunei International Airport into a freight centre, offering new facilities and incentives.

[41] Additionally, RKN 8 allocates $526 million, or 7.2% of the overall development budget, to advance information technology, including the creation of 'e-government' services and fundamental IT infrastructure.

The plan sought to expand on the RKN 8, which prioritised economic diversification and allotted $7.3 billion, with a particular emphasis on small and medium-sized businesses and non-oil industries.

It was projected that the RKN 2007–2012 would direct the nation's economic growth over the ensuing five years, carrying on with initiatives to strengthen the non-oil economy, which had demonstrated notable expansion, especially in the services sector.

[45] The development initiatives were public utilities, social services, environment, industry and commerce, tourism, transportation and communication, science, technology, and innovation, ICT, and security.

The largest expenditure, amounting to $1,418 million (75.4%) of the budget, was in the social services sector, mostly because of the human resource development fund and large-scale housing initiatives.

The public utilities sector spent $497 million (78.8%) of its allotted funds on projects related to the delivery of electricity and water, including the Ulu Tutong Dam and the Bukit Panggal Power Station.

[49] Furthermore, other projects under the RKN consisted of the Agro-Technology Park,[50] Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery,[50] and the Suri Seri Begawan Raja Pengiran Anak Damit Mosque.

[51] The Bangar Town Boat Terminal in the Temburong District, built at a cost of about $1.4 million, was constructed between 19 June 2008 and 19 December 2009, and officially opened on 7 January 2010.

Project execution was made even more difficult by the protracted consultant hiring process, contractor-related problems, and the sluggish approval of change orders.

These included lowering bankers' guarantee rates to lessen financial constraints on contractors, creating an advisory board for consultant nominations for every ministry to expedite the process, and updating protocols for Variation Order approval.

The Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge that link Bandar Seri Begawan to Kampong Lumapas on the Brunei River's eastern bank.

The largest project, as previously mentioned, was the proposed Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge, which would have crossed the Brunei Bay to link Temburong with the mainland.

[61] Despite these challenges, RKN10 continues to support the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) initiative and the growth of the private sector, particularly Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as noted in the 13th LegCo session in March 2017.

With an emphasis on industries including agrifood and development, the new initiatives were anticipated to increase GDP, promote digital transformation, and generate employment locally.

Amounts allocated for the 24th and 25th fiscal years total $500 million, with additional expenditures for research, development of industry, and environmental sustainability, as well as national security, education, housing, and infrastructure.