IPOH: The Perak State Government is expected to table a deficit budget this November as part of efforts for better financial management in the state.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said that the decision took into account various governmental efforts to enhance state development while ensuring the well-being of the people was always maintained.
“The advantage of projecting a deficit will positively impact the state government agencies and departments, especially the District and Land Office, the Department of Land and Mines (PTG), and other related departments. When they see the deficit, they will work hard to turn it into a surplus.
“For example, last year we also tabled a deficit budget of RM67 million, but by the end of this year, the state government is confident that we will achieve a surplus; in other words, we will not be in debt,“ he said at a press conference here yesterday.
He made the remarks after attending the ‘Ngopi Siswa Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS) dan Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) dengan Cikgu Saarani’ programme and the handover of assistance from the Perak Foundation’s subsidiary near here, which was also attended by State Education, Higher Education, Youth, and Sports Committee chairman Khairudin Abu Hanipah.
Earlier, Saarani presented assistance through the Perak Foundation’s subsidiary, YP Nominees Holdings Sdn Bhd, providing RM500 each to 100 students from USAS and UPSI.
Also feted were 10 recipients of the Perak Foundation Student Incentive, who are students from the certificate to Bachelor’s degree levels.
The Perak Foundation has approved the disbursement of RM3.36 million in assistance to 4,556 beneficiaries as of September this year.
