One-off payments galore for Terengganu residents

 

Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar tabled a bigger budget for 2023 although crude oil prices are expected to be lower next year. (Bernama pic)

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu state government has announced the payment of a range of one-off grants to residents, ranging from schoolchildren, single mothers and families to security guards, farmers and tourism workers.

The budget includes higher education relief for families with schoolchildren; one-off payments of RM110 each to more than 86,000 schoolchildren and RM300 each to 170,000 poor households to celebrate their important cultural festivals; RM200 vouchers for postpartum care for women who have just given birth.

He said education relief aid would be raised to RM200 for the first and second child, RM300 for the third to fifth child and RM500 for the sixth to 10th child, Bernama reported.

The state government also provides funds totalling RM5 million to finance tuition fees for eligible first-degree students.

The Pencen Rakyat worth RM600 would continue with an allocation of RM15 million for the benefit of 25,000 recipients.

The grants are part of the RM2.4 billion budget for 2023 tabled in the state assembly today. The budget allocates RM1.9 billion in operating expenditure, RM500 million in development expenditure and RM30 million for water supply.

The menteri besar, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, said the budget had three aims: to support the people, drive the economy, and ensure sustainable development.

An allocation of RM1 million is set aside to provide job opportunities to women.

Samsuri also announced one-off cash payments of:

• RM110 each to over 86,000 schoolchildren in the state;
• RM100 in book aid for candidates taking the Form Five and Form Six public examinations;
• RM200 to 25,000 single mothers and persons with disabilities;
• RM150 to around 2,600 security guards; over 20,000 farmers, breeders and fishermen; as well as more than 1,500 tourism industry workers;
• RM150 for more than 160,000 youth and undergraduates from low-income households;
• RM300 to all poor households for their important cultural festivals; more than 170,000 households will benefit.
• RM200 for 200 imams and bilals, and a RM100 per month increase in the allowance paid to nearly 1,000 imams and bilals who do not have a fixed income.

The state government estimates to collect RM1.8 billion in revenue, comprising RM65 million from tax profits, and RM135 million from non-tax revenue, including federal funds from petroleum royalties.

Samsuri said the budget was based on a forecast of lower crude oil prices this year, but expenditure was raised by more than 20% to sustain the economy and improve the lives of the people.

He said under operating expenses, a total of RM93.13 million has been allocated for dependent expenses and RM1.897 billion for supply expenses which include RM271.65 million for emoluments; RM249.17 million (services and supplies); RM25.94 million (assets); RM1.35 billion (grants and fixed payment); and RM1 million for other expenses.

“Under the grants and fixed payment component, a total of RM500 million was contributed to development funds; RM250 million for grants to local authorities, statutory bodies and various agencies; RM200 million for grants to government departments, and RM400 million for various service programmes under the state secretary’s office,” he said when presenting the budget at the state assembly.

In development expenses, a total of RM417.73 million (or 79%) has been allocated for the social sector including education, infrastructure and public facilities including water supply, urban and rural development, sports and housing.

For the administrative sector, a total of RM85 million (16%) was allocated to include information technology, general administration as well as special projects and unexpected important projects; while RM27 million (5%) was for the economic sector including agriculture, tourism and micro, small and medium industries. - FMT