Budget 2017 to give more opportunities to civil servants

Budget 2017 tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday has been described as a budget for the wellbeing of the people as well as to raise the potential of civil servants.

National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) president, Kamarozaman Abd Razak said civil servants especially the support group would benefit most from the budget.

"The government's decision to extend fully paid study leave for the support group will greatly benefit members who have been facing financial constraints to further their studies," he said when contacted by Bernama.

In tabling the budget at Dewan Rakyat, the prime minister announced that fully paid study leave would be extended to the support group.

The facility was earlier limited to the management and professional group which is from Grade 41 and above.

On the selling price of 1Malaysia Civil Servant Housing at 20 per cent below market price, he said the move would make the price of houses more affordable.

"With this measure, it would be easier for civil servants to receive housing loans. Even though the government raised the loan limit, it will not bring any changes if the price of houses continues to rise.

He also welcomed the government's move to extend the service of contract officers by one year as it would ease the worry of these officers who had yet to find jobs.

Meanwhile, Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president, Datuk Azih Muda said the government had for the first time met the Cuepacs demand to give the support group more opportunities.

"Cuepacs has been proposing to the government to give fully paid study leave with scholarship to the support group and it was accepted in this budget."

The government's move to raise the housing loan limit of civil servants from RM120,000 to RM200,000 and from RM600,000 to RM750,000 is appropriate as civil servants would now have the chance to regain their eligibility to buy houses.

Azih hopes that heads of departments in the civil service would not make decision outside of the Prime Minister's announcement to extend the service of contract officers by one year. -- BERNAMA