DEPUTY Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has clarified that the 2024 State Budget of RM12.363 billion involves funding an Operating Expenditure of RM4.563 billion and appropriation of RM7.8 billion as the Development Fund.
In response to Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, he said the first page of Command Paper 11 of 2023 had put the total 2024 Operating Expenditure at RM12.363 billion, which included the sum of RM7.8 billion meant for appropriation to the Development Fund Account.
“This RM7.8 billion was inadvertently taken up as part of the Operating Expenditure due to a technical error.
“The matter has been rectified accordingly, and the affected page has been replaced and placed on the table in this Dewan Undangan Negeri sitting on Nov 23.
“Therefore, I wish to reiterate that with the projected revenue of RM12.749 billion and total Ordinary Expenditure of RM12.363 billion, the 2024 State Budget is expected to generate a surplus of RM386 million, as mentioned by the Premier in his 2024 Budget Speech,” he said.
Uggah who is also Second Minister of Finance and New Economy made the clarification when delivering his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Wednesday (Nov 29).
On the issue raised by Daro assemblyman Safiee Ahmas pertaining to the Malaysian Road Records Information System (MARRIS) allocation, Uggah said the state road grant is provided by the federal government pursuant to Article 109(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution.
“The road grant allocation is calculated based on road length registered in the MARRIS.
“Therefore, registering and updating the road data at the respective agencies in MARRIS is important to enable the state to receive the road grant.
“In view of this, all the implementing agencies responsible for state road maintenance, and this includes the Matu District Council and Daro District Council should step up their efforts to register and update roads under their respective jurisdictions in MARRIS, so that we can receive more allocation under this entitlement for further disbursement,” he said.
