The ‘Mini Budget’ amounting to RM107,718,676,650 was passed by the Dewan Rakyat today to upkeep immediate national expenditure.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tabled the first motion under the Consolidated Fund (Expenditure Into Account) Act 2022 which will come into force on January 1, 2023, aimed at paying emoluments for civil servants and other government dues.
“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,” he said when tabling the temporary operating budget, or Mini Budget in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.
It was announced that all civil servants from Grade 11 to Grade 56 will receive a RM100 Special Annual Salary Increase and the Federal Government has agreed to provide special financial aid of RM700 to 1.3 million civil servants under Grade 56 and below, and a one-time RM350 payment to one million government pensioners.
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan later moved the second and third motions involving the balance of proceeds of the Malaysian Government Investment Issue (MGII).
Meanwhile, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the unity government will re-table a stronger and effective Budget 2023 in February next year.
He said the budget will look into better welfare for the people and will strengthen the nation’s economic performance.
“In our efforts to deal with the challenges of high cost of living, the government will take a more targeted approach in safeguarding the rights of the less fortunate and small entrepreneurs, by reducing subsidy leakage to the super rich and large companies that have huge profits,” he said while debating the mini budget in the August House today.
“The social protection system will be also be strengthened to protect the vulnerable including freelancers,” he said, adding he will be tabling the budget himself come February.
Budget 2023, which was prepared by the previous government led by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has not been approved or debated in the Dewan Rakyat following the dissolution of Parliament on October 10.
