SEREMBAN, Sept 3 — The Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly today passed the First Supplementary Supply Bill 2020 for additional fund of RM50 million to continue state administration and development agenda.
The bill, which was tabled by the Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun in order to implement 10 initiatives to ease the burden of the people, was passed after the third reading and received majority support from the state assemblymen.
“The additional allocation was not due to administrative failure in managing the state budget, but it is to re-coordinate previous spending so that the budget remains on track.
“Although the additional allocation would change the landscape of the state budget from balanced to deficit, but the impact of the deficit was not significantly felt. The additional RM50 million is equal to 10.94 per cent, which brings the total allocation to RM507 million,” he said when tabling the bill at the Second Meeting (Special-Additional Budget) of the Third Term of the 14th State Legislative Assembly.
Later in his winding-up speech, Aminuddin said the Seremban City Council had identified 41 locations and 809 lots to be turned into local hawkers centres, in addressing the unlicensed hawkers issue.
Aminuddin added that the state government has also agreed to provide a one-off RM300 aid to those who would move to the new locations, besides issuing them with a hawker licence.
“We never did this before, but now we are providing them with an opportunity to open an account under the licence name so that they can apply for loans and others. This is to empower the hawkers, not ruining them,” he explained.
Meanwhile, on the progress of the Youth and Sports Complex upgrading project in Paroi, Aminuddin said it was expected to be completed by year-end and would begin operations early next year.
The state assembly sitting was adjourned sine die. — Bernama
