By : SYED JAYMAL ZAHIID
KUALA LUMPUR: The 2011
Auditor-General’s report indicates good fiscal management by all four Pakatan
Rakyat-controlled states with revenues improving. DAP-held Penang led the way
in terms of revenue collection, recording a RM192.19 million or 46.8% increase
compared with the RM410.70 million made in 2010 while Selangor, Malaysia’s
richest state, increased by RM62.50 million or 4% for the same period.
Kedah, on the other hand,
saw its surplus drop when it recorded an increase in operating expenditures
despite boosting its revenue, but the report noted that the PAS-led state
government had more or less maintained a “satisfactory” balance sheet.
But the rice-bowl state,
considered as one of the country’s poorest, is still far from achieving its
debt target, said the report.
“The state government’s
commitment to the remaining public debt now stands at RM2.60 billion compared
with RM2.61 billion in 2010; it is still high,” it read, adding that Kedah must
do more to improve its revenue collection.
Oil-rich Kelantan, too, was rated
satisfactory due to the increase in its consolidated fund by RM86.17 million or
58.1% to RM234.47 million as compared with the RM148.30 million recorded in
2010.
The PAS-conrolled-state also
saw investments in 2011 increase by RM95 million from RM16.33 million in 2010
to RM111.33 million in 2011.
The state’s overall
financial performance statement, whereby revenue as compared to total
management and development expenditures for 2011, recorded an increase from
total deficit of RM171.70 million in 2010 to RM141.53 million in 2011.
But the AG report
highlighted poor debt management by Kelantan.
“Public debts increased by
RM27.85 million from RM1.11 billion in 2010 to RM1.14 billion in 2011. The
arrears of debts repayment to the federal government also increased from
RM121.57 million in 2010 to RM179.81 million in 2011″.
Meanwhile, the report noted
marked improvements in the performance of state agencies with most rated
“excellent” compared to 2010, although it recommended Kelantan and Kedah to
provide more training for its officers to improve.
Selangor and Penang were
praised for their initiatives to bolster their financial management
performance.
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