Addressing the floor: Saarani at the state assembly. — Bernama
IPOH: The Perak government has tabled a RM1.52bil budget for next year, the highest in the state’s history.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said about RM981mil will be for management expenditure while RM538mil will be for development.
Under the management expenditure, he said these include RM472.7mil for emoluments, RM350mil for services and supplies, RM16mil for asset purchases, grants and fixed scheduled payments worth RM136mil and other expenses at RM6.2mil.
“The increase in expenditure takes into consideration the salary increase for civil servants and streamlining of pensions for state assemblymen.
“As for development expenditures, which is also the highest in the state’s history, it will allow for economic growth and for the state to be competitive, in line with the Perak Sejahtera 2030 Plan,” he said in his speech when tabling the budget at the state assembly meeting yesterday.
Saarani said Perak has forecast a revenue of about RM1.4bil to be generated next year from tax, non-tax revenue and royalty generated from the non-radioactive rare earth element mining industry.
“We projected our financial statement for next year to be a deficit of about RM81.8mil.”
He also announced two months’ bonus for all civil servants under the state government, which include all state-appointed teachers, Orang Besar Jajahan, village chiefs and staff under the Malaysia Short-Term Employment Programme (MySTEP).
The bonus will be paid out in the final week of this year, he said, adding that the state budget is based on five “Perak’s New Vision” as written by Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah in his book Globalisation: Perak’s Rise, Relative Decline and Regeneration.
The five elements, he said, are ensuring an efficient and transparent institution; rebuilding human capital and increasing marketability; investing in global gateways; utilising and improving the state’s natural assets and amazing history; and extending powers in revenue collection and decision-making.
“As laid out in the Perak Sejahtera 2030 Plan, we will continue to focus on the well-being of the people, management of projects of state interest, development of human capital and youth, environmental sustainability and food security,” he added.
Saarani said about RM628mil will be allocated for the well-being of the people.
These, he said, include increased welfare aid to the needy, maintenance of public infrastructures, and to hold various health programmes.
Other allocations include RM95mil to develop human capital and youth, RM11mil for tourism and cultural programmes and projects, RM21mil for sports development, RM69.8mil for environment sustainability programmes and RM65mil for food security.
