Anwar slams Najib’s new fiscal committee

Najib could have managed the national budgetary deficit without resorting to forming a new committee, says Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

PETALING JAYA: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today slammed the new fiscal policy committee announced yesterday by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to better manage the country’s fiscal sustainability.

The PKR de facto leader said that the new committee would have an adverse effect on the people’s livelihood, adding that the prime minister could have easily resorted to less costly methods.

“I cautiously take note of the announcement by Najib Tun Razak of the formation of a committee that will focus on reducing the national budgetary deficit to 3% by 2015,” Anwar told a press conference at the PKR headquarters here today.

“An undertaking of that feat could have easily been achieved through a strict economic governance and transparent government procurement without the need for any new taxes or cutting of essential government expenditures with direct impact on the people’s livelihood,” he said.

Najib had said yesterday that the committee would be chaired by himself, along with the Cabinet ministers and head of departments.

“This is to underline the seriousness in terms of managing our fiscal sustainability and economy,” he told reporters at the Budget 2014 consultation ceremony in Putrajaya.

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