Thursday 27 September 2012

EARING TOWARDS A PEOPLE’S ECONOMY





HARDSHIP.....Giving Malaysians more income, and relieving them of economic hardship were among the highlights in Pakatan's shadow Budget 2013.

By : PATRICK LEE

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat today revealed its shadow Budget 2013, with the goal of increasing Malaysians’ income and easing their financial burdens at the same time.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim announced the budget which carried the slogan “Ekonomi Rakyat Negara Berkat” (People’s Economy, Blessed Country) in Parliament today.

The coalition budget focused on three areas:

-increasing disposable income and alleviating economic hardship;
-building an entrepreneurial class, and promoting constructive competition; and
-creating a “just society with dignity and pride”.

This year, Pakatan expected government revenue to be at RM197 billion, smaller than that of last year (RM220 billion).

The Pakatan budget has an expenditure tag of RM234 billion, comprising RM185 billion (operational expenses) and RM49 billion (development expenses).

The opposition also aimed to cut deficit further to 3.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), forecasting a 3.0% inflation rate and 5.2% economic growth.

It also forecast that Malaysia’s economy would grow to RM1.064 trillion by the end of 2013.

Like previous shadow budgets, the Pakatan budget focused on ending alleged corruption and doing away with economic mismanagement.

It also appeared to be focused on winning over various groups of Malaysians including civil servants and low-to-middle-income earners.

Focusing on the poor

The opposition is eyeing the 300,000 civil servants who earned less than RM1,100 a month.

Its proposal to increase welfare payment from RM300 to RM550 a month was also geared towards lifting 84,000 Malaysian families out of poverty.

The opposition was also confident that it would obtain a minimum household income of RM4,000 after five years of rule.

Speaking to reporters, Anwar said Barisan Nasional would never achieve its deficit target of 4.7% of the GDP.

He said that Pakatan’s 3.5% target was doable, adding that a deficit target could not be too radical lest it affects essential areas such as healthcare and rural development.

He added that the opposition’s 3.0% inflation rate was realistic, ridiculing BN’s 1.6% inflation claim.

The opposition leader also said that there was no need for race-based economic policies.

He, however, focused on the poor, many of whom he said were Malays. A poverty-focused policy, he added, would naturally target the Malays.

Among the economic policies the opposition revealed were:

-Creating a National Housing Board to come up with affordable housing projects, with 100,000 homes priced between RM130,000 and RM300,000, helped by a RM5 billion initial seed capital. Half of these homes would be built in the Klang Valley.

-Gradual implementation of a build-then-sell policy for houses, geared towards veering away from the possibility of abandoned housing projects.

-Cutting excise duties on all cars by 20%.

-A RM2 billion allocation to double the number of RapidKL buses from 1,400 to 3,000, and increase service coverage from 165 to 250 routes, and 980 to 1,500 residential areas. It would also focus more on Bus Rapid Transit systems.

-Setting aside RM6 billion to start phasing out the toll for selected highway concessions.

-A RM20 million allocation allowing for free public transport for the disabled.

-A universal RM1,100 minimum wage for both the public and private sectors.

-Increasing welfare payment from RM300 to RM550 a month.

-Increasing incomes and employment opportunities for Malaysians in rural areas, including smallholders in agricultural and rural-based economic activities, making it a “comprehensive” safety net mechanism. A one-off RM500 assistance to be disbursed by the Welfare Department for households affected by the drop in commodity prices.

-Gradually abolishing the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) after 100 days of Pakatan in power, and refocusing all government investments on Khazanah Nasional.

-An annual minimum RM2 billion dividend from Khazanah to the federal government.

-An Anti-Trust Act and an Anti-Trust Commission to break monopolies apart.

-Rationalisation of government investments, and the revamping of government-linked private equity fund manager Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas).

-Forming state-owned second-tier oil and gas companies for the oil-producing states. These states would benefit from financial investments in marginal fields through risk-sharing contracts.

-Increase oil royalty rates to 20%, bringing in an extra RM12.5 billion to Kelantan, Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu.

-Starting the construction of a Pan Borneo Highway that would link Kuching and Kota Kinabalu with Sabah’s east coast.

-A RM500 million Small and Medium Industry (SMI) Automation Fund, with tax incentives and facilitation funds for SMIs.

-A RM500 million National Innovation Fund.

-A RM600 annual contribution known as Caruman Wanita Nasional, a national safety net for female homemakers.

-A combined police redeployment, and rationalisation of new intakes in future years. This would include upping the number of criminal investigation officers, foot patrols and various other means.

-RM754 million to increase all policemen’s salaries by 15%.

40 comments:

  1. Mengenai bajet yang dibentangkan oleh Pembangkang tidak ada yang menarik langsung.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To assist young ICT entrepreneurs, a New Entrepreneur Foundation (NEF) will be established with an initial allocation of RM50mil. The NEF will be the platform to provide training and guidance programmes.

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    2. bajet pakatan hanya “trick” untuk menarik undi rakyat,

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    3. idea PR untuk menghapuskan Projek Perumahan
      Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA), dalam bajet tersebut bukan sesuatu yang praktikal kerana hanya akan mengakibatkan projek sedia ada yang sedang
      dibangunkan akan terbengkalai.

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    4. As long as its benefit the people, thats a good budget.

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    5. Bujet ini tidak dapat memenuhi semua golongan.

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  2. Kalau kita lihat sekarang ini juga Kerajaan BN telah pun membentangkan bajet 2013. Nampaknya memang disambut baik oleh rakyat.

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    Replies
    1. Budget friendly and this is worth to look at.

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  3. tahniah diucapkan kepada kerajaan kerana bajet 2013 ini adalah bajet kesejahteraan rakyat.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kita perlu teruskan menyokong parti yang benar-benar mampu memberikan yang terbaik kepada rakyat.

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  5. Memang benar apa yang dikatakan oleh Perdana Menteri kita mengenai PR ini yang hanya menjanjikan janji terang bintang untuk menarik sokongan. Maka jangan tertipu dengan semua itu. Yang pasti kerajaan akan memastikan yang mana rakyat mendapat hak mereka.

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  6. SOCSO will allocate RM200mil to enable its 1.4 million members to undertake free health screening in Government hospitals or SOCSO's panel clinics to detect non-communicable diseases.

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  7. Government will establish the Graduate Employability Taskforce with an allocation of RM200mil to strengthen employability of unemployed graduates under Graduate Employability Blueprint by end-2012

    ReplyDelete
  8. RM38.7bil to improve quality of education in the country with an additional RM500mil to training teachers in the core subjects of English, Bahasa Malaysia, Science and Maths.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bajet yang diumumkan oleh Najib pun mesra rakyat malah mendapat sokongan ramai juga.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Terpulang pada rakyat nak sokong siapa tapi pastikan anda menyokong calon yang terbaik buat kita semua.

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  11. PM Datuk Najib said the tabling of the 2013 Budget is not to fish for votes, but a commitment by the government to bring prosperity to the country

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Prime Minister said the government should not be accused of being populist because it had succeeded in achieving numerous successes and fulfilling its promises to the people.

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    2. the government had implemented policies and spent on projects to encourage economic growth to the extent that it was capable of recording a remarkable economic growth when the world was facing economic crisis

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    3. Najib said thus the opposition felt challenged when the government chose the slogan “Janji Ditepati” because they knew that the promises they had made could not be fulfilled.

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    4. Najib said the choice of the name ‘Bantuan Rakyat 1Mlaysia’ (BR1M 2.0) announced in the 2013 Budget was also one way of hitting at the opposition for organising Bersih 2.0.

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  12. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his team has managed to come up with a financial planning that places equal emphasis on the needs of people and the country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It ensures the welfare and interest of the people are taken care of and we give as much as we could to help ease the people’s burden and improve their living quality and at the same time maintain a solid financial standing for the government.

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    2. Coming up with such a people-oriented budget packed with goodies and free gifts was not an easy feat.

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    3. BN government under Najib’s leadership has proven its capability and commitment towards the welfare of the people and at the same time propel the country forward in terms of development.

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    4. Unlike the opposition, we realistically balance the needs of the individual with the need of the country. BN give a lot to the people but at the same time make sure the country does not go bankrupt

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    5. Pengurusan yang bijak diperlukan agar negara tidak mengalami bankrup.

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  13. Perlaksanaan bujet harus bijak.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Persaingan politik Sabah semakin giat.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Bujet harus dikendali dengan bijak dan wajar agar tiada penyelewengan.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Pasti ada pihak mempertikaikan bujet tersebut.

    ReplyDelete
  17. -Increase oil royalty rates to 20%, bringing in an extra RM12.5 billion to Kelantan, Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu.

    Topik royalti harus dikaji semula.

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  18. Beberapa pemimpin kerajaan menyifatkan belanjawan pakatan pembangkang yang dibentangkan baru2 ini adalah idea tiruan yang sudah dimulakan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) dan lebih bersifat populis untuk menarik perhatian rakyat.

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  19. Rata-rata berpendapat belanjawan pembangkang itu lebih bersifat kepada hanya 'janji dimanisi' dan bukan janji ditepati.

    sebagai contoh cadangan pembangkang untuk menubuhkan 'National Housing Board' sudah dibuat oleh kerajaan terlebih dahulu melalui Program Perumahan 1Malaysia (PR1MA).

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  20. pembangkang perlu menjelaskan bagaimana mereka ingin membiayai belanjawan alternatif terbabit, yang dianggarkan berjumlah RM200 bilion, sedangkan mereka ingin menghapuskan tol dan duti eksais serta menurunkan harga minyak.

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  21. selain itu, belanjawan yang dibentangkan pakatan pembangkang itu disediakan secara 'ad hoc' kerana ia bukan dilakukan kabinet bayangan mereka. belanjawan pakatan pembangkang itu dilihat tidak memberi manfaat kepada rakyat berpendapatan rendah dan lebih bersifat kepada hanya "janji dimanisi".

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  22. Misalnya dalam belanjawan pembangkang ada mengatakan akan menghapuskan duti import kereta yang mana jika dilihat kerajaan akan hilang hasil sebanyak RM8 bilion dan juga dia kata hendak menghapuskan tol secara terpilih menyebabkan kerajaan akan hilang hasil RM6 bilion..

    ReplyDelete
  23. pendapatan negara yang hilang kesan dari pelaksanaan janji2 Pakatan tidak pernah dijelaskan oleh pemimpin2 pembangkang tentang bagaimana mereka mahu mendapatkan semula pendapatan negara yang hilang itu..

    ReplyDelete