Dewan Rakyat passes RM107.7 bln for civil service expenditure

KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat today passed the Consolidated Fund (Expenditure On Account) Bill 2022 that provides for RM107.72 billion in civil service expenditure for a part of 2023.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister, said this gave temporary Parliamentary approval for the government to spend a portion of the total estimated expenses during the months prior to the retabling and passing of the Supply Bill for 2023.

"The estimated expenses under the bill, among others, include payments of emoluments for the civil servants, utilities, scholarships, social welfare aid as well as education and health services.

"In addition, ongoing development projects must continue and scheduled contract payments must be met," he said when tabling the special allocation, or the Mini Budget, in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Anwar said the bill is in conformity with paragraph (a) of Article 102 of the Federal Constitution and similar bills were tabled previously, the last of which was on Dec 20, 1999.

According to the blue bill distributed by the Parliament, the largest sum would be allocated for the Treasury General Services amounting to RM28.12 billion followed by the Ministry of Education (RM24.97 billion) and the Ministry of Health (RM17.05 billion).

Other provisions include the Prime Minister's Department (RM2.17 billion), Ministry of Home Affairs (RM6.90 billion), Ministry of Higher Education (RM5.85 billion), Ministry of Defence (RM5.71 billion), Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (RM2.38 billion), Treasury (RM2.01 billion) and Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (RM1.59 billion).

A sum of RM1.81 billion would be set aside for the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, RM1.09 billion for Contribution to Statutory Funds, RM83.36 million for the Parliament of Malaysia, RM495.72 million for the Ministry of Communication and Digital, and RM235.75 million for the Public Service Department.

The Dewan Rakyat has also passed a provision of RM55.95 billion to be withdrawn from the Development Fund with respect to the financial year 2023 to meet the government's urgent expenditure.

Additionally, the Dewan Rakyat has passed the motion to transfer RM35.04 billion, comprising the balance of the proceeds from the Malaysian Government Investment Issue (MGII) amounting to RM31.83 billion and from the Malaysian Islamic Treasury Bills amounting to RM3.21 billion for the year 2022, into the Development Fund in accordance with Section 3(1) of the Government Funding Act 1983 (Act 275).

The Dewan Rakyat has also passed another motion to transfer a total of RM16.20 billion in accordance with Section 3(1) Act 275 and Section 4(2) of the Temporary Measures for Government Funding (Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Act 2020 (Act 830).

The amount is the balance of proceeds of MGII for 2022 to be transferred into the COVID-19 Fund.

Both motions were tabled by Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

"Both transfers are intended to fund parts of the development expenditure provisions for 2022 as passed by the Parliament during the tabling of Budget 2022 last year.

"The Development Fund is a government trust fund established in accordance with the Development Funds Act 1966 to make provisions for development projects," he said.

Meanwhile, the transfer of proceeds into the COVID-19 Fund is intended to provide for the required expenditure (COVID-19 Fund) for the year 2022.

The session was adjourned to a date to be announced later.

-- BERNAMA