KANGAR, Dec 12 — The Perlis Budget 2024, themed “Melestari Ekonomi Negeri Demi Kesejahteraan Rakyat” (Sustaining the State’s Economy for People’s Well-Being), allocates a total of RM293.92 million for operating and development expenditures.
Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli, when tabling the Budget at the state Legislative Assembly sitting, here today, said that, of the total amount, RM184.64 million, or 62.82 per cent, is allocated under operating expenditures, while RM109.27 million, or 37.18 per cent, is development expenditure.
“Overall, operating expenditure in 2024 has been increased by RM4.23 million, or 2.34 per cent, compared with 2023. Of the amount allocated, as much as RM63.62 million is for emolument payments; RM79.93 million is provided to cover service and supply expenditures.
“RM36.47 million is provided under grants and fixed payments, and RM4.62 million is provided for asset purposes and other expenses,” he said.
Mohd Shukri said that, of the development allocation of RM109.27 million provided, as much as 56.84 per cent of the allocation was financed through loans from the federal government, for the purpose of infrastructure improvement projects for the convenience of the people.
“To meet the development needs of all sectors, the development allocation for the year 2024 will be distributed to the six main implementing agencies, namely the State Secretary’s Office, amounting to RM72.81 million and the Public Works Department (RM19.05 million).
“Also, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (RM8.67 million); Forestry Department (RM4.09 million); Department of Agriculture (RM3.71 million) and Department of Veterinary Services (RM0.94 million),” he said.
In the meantime, Mohd Shukri said that, to ensure the implementation of Budget 2024, the state government will emphasise three focuses, namely the first focus is improving the socio-economics of the people; secondly, strengthening a sustainable economy and the third focus is empowering the service delivery system.
He said that the state government allocated a total of RM7.84 million for the provision of welfare assistance, through the Social Welfare Department, in the first initiative, for the welfare of vulnerable groups under the first focus, and will provide benefits to more than 2,600 aid recipients.
“They consist of, among others, underprivileged families/individuals; single mothers; patients; persons with disabilities (PwD); dependents of prisoners; abandoned/neglected individuals; senior citizens; children and chronic patients,” he said.
Apart from that, through the first initiative under the first focus as well, Mohd Shukri said that the existing assistance rate under the Welfare Department will be increased, among which the general assistance rate will be increased up to 100 per cent, making the total assistance rate which will be received between RM200 and RM400 per month.
“For that purpose, the state government has allocated RM6.65 million a year, which is an increase of RM50,000 compared with the previous year’s allocation,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the first initiative to increase the state’s revenue under the second focus, he said that the state government agreed to give a discount of 75 per cent on the rate of fines for violation of land conditions, throughout the year 2024, as an encouragement for individual landowners to submit applications to change land conditions and status.
“This discount rate is also extended to land owners who are making instalment payments for the approval of land condition and status change applications, for the remaining arrears.
“The state government hopes that, with the flexibility given, the landowners will submit applications to change the conditions and status as soon as possible,” he said. — Bernama
