No external consultants in LAKSANA - Tengku Zafrul

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz has clarified that no external consultants have been roped in to assist the ministry in implementing the government's economic stimulus package.

"I want to make it clear that there are no consultants paid by the Ministry of Finance and there are no consultants (external). What we have are secondments from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP), Employees Provident Funds (KWSP), Bank Negara Malaysia, Securities Commission dan officers from other agencies such as Exim Bank.

"And I do not want to take credit away from the civil servants because the Prihatin Package's team are all from the Ministry of Finance. So, I do not know where this information came from," he told reporters after a working visit to the Inland Revenue Board's Hasil Care Line and Hasil Recovery Call Centre here today.

Also present was newly the appointed Treasury secretary-general Datuk Asri Hamidin@Hamidon.

Tengku Zafrul said this after he was asked to clarify on a news report alleging that some of the largest consultancies in the country have been roped in to assist the Finance Ministry to implement the government's economic stimulus package.

Meanwhile, Tengku Zafrul said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) had issued the latest Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding the loan moratorium to clarify public confusion on the matter.

'What is clear now is that interest still accrued but not compounded.

"More than a month ago when the loan moratorium was first announced by Bank Negara, there was some confusion, I think because communication was unclear but thankfully Bank Negara this morning has issued their FAQ to clear up this confusion. I hope we do not speculate this further," he added.

Tengku Zafrul said all banks have to comply with the Hire-Purchase Act 1967 and Shariah guidelines whereby they have to get consent from the customers for loan moratorium.

"That was a procedural difference, where now all banks have to ask for consent. All customers are still eligible automatically, but permission must be given by the customers," he added.

-- BERNAMA