Terengganu received RM1 bil in oil royalty last year

Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. (Bernama pic)

KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu received RM1.053 billion in oil royalty payment from the federal government last year, Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar told the state assembly today.

He said the payment was made in stages, with RM603 million made before the 14th general election, RM100 million on Aug 21, RM200 million on Oct 8 and RM150 million on Dec 12.

“The amount is less than the estimated RM1.4 billion in petroleum and gas royalty tabled in the state budget last year, based on the oil price of US$60 per barrel,” he added.

He was responding to an oral question from Bazlan Abdul Rahman (BN-Batu Rakit) on the petroleum and gas royalty given to Terengganu last year.

To a supplementary question from Ahmad Said (BN-Kijal) on the amount received this year, Samsuri said RM193.18 million was received in January.

However, the payment was actually for the 2018 payment and the finance ministry had deducted 25% from the amount to pay for the state’s debts to the federal government, he added. - FMT