Budget 2023 not bound to previous plan - PM

PUTRAJAYA: Budget 2023 to be presented next month will not be tied to the plan announced in October 2022, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.

However, he said the recommendations made in the previous budget plan will be taken into account in the coming Budget 2023 figures.

"All aspects will not be tied to the previous budget even if we take into account the suggestions made before. This time the budget will be made new in its core, policies and modifications," he told reporters after the Budget 2023 Dialogue here today.

Anwar said priority would be given to small and medium enterprises in high-impact sectors such as technology, agriculture as well as renewable energy and which have export capacity in Budget 2023.

In a separate statement, the Finance Ministry said today's Budget 2023 Dialogue was attended by stakeholders consisting of government agencies, the private sector, academia, non-governmental organisations and civil societies.

Participants of the dialogue have expressed various suggestions such as attention to mental health and the needs of people with disabilities, gender equality in education and employment opportunities.

Meanwhile, proposals to encourage small and medium enterprises, to boost urban agriculture as contributors to food security and environmental sustainability were also discussed.

There is also an urgent need to ensure that initiatives are in place to ensure the survival of the vulnerable groups and to improve the digitisation process in government delivery.

The Finance Ministry also launched the Budget 2023 Proposal Portal, to make the annual budget preparation process more transparent and inclusive which welcomes the involvement of all levels of the people.

-- BERNAMA