Government requests approval for another RM12.7bn for 2012

The government is requesting approval for an additional RM12.7bn under a “supplementary supply bill” for 2012 on top of amounts previously approved for that year.

The bulk of this was for the Education Ministry (RM3.4bn) and ‘Treasury General Services’ (RM3.4bn), said the business portal The Edge.

Previously, in mid-2012, the government had requested an additional RM13.8bn for 2012. (Much of this, RM11.2bn, was for Treasury General Services).

These two Bills would total up to RM26bn in additional expenditure for which approval was requested.

The original budgeted expediture for 2012 was RM231bn (see below).

Graphic: penangmonthly.com

So the RM26bn additional amount requested amounts to 11 per cent more than what was originally budgeted for 2012 expenditure. See this report in The Edge.

Why wasn’t this RM26bn budgeted in the original budget? Was this additional spending related to pre-GE13 spending? Next year, there could be a 2013 supplementary budget to be approved for more GE13 spending.

Political scientist Bridget Welsh has estimated the pre-election spending at RM57bn.

-anilnetto