KUCHING: The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed two Supplementary Supply Bills involving a total of RM391,429,717 for additional expenditure that was not covered in previous allocations.
The bills, tabled by Sarawak Deputy Premier and Second Minister for Finance and New Economy Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, were the Supplementary Supply (2024) Bill involving an allocation of RM153,769,197 and the Supplementary Supply (2025) Bill for RM237,660,520.
According to Uggah, the Supplementary Supply (2024) is to meet the cost of various services incurred by various Ministries and Departments for which funds were not provided for or insufficiently provided for in the 2024 estimates.
Meanwhile, he said the Supplementary Supply (2025) seeks additional expenditure, among others, a total sum of RM100,000,000 required by the Department of the Premier of Sarawak to cater for rental of air-chartered services due to increased activities.
“A total sum of RM72,264,000 is required by the Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development to cater for a special Pocket Money Initiative at RM1,200 per Sarawakian student pursuing a Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in higher education institutions throughout Malaysia.
“A total sum of RM62,271,138 is required by the following Ministries and Departments to cover payment for special monthly allowance, Bantuan Insentif Sara Hidup, to all Sarawak Civil Servants effective January 2025,” he added.