KUALA TERENGGANU – The Terengganu government today tabled its budget for next year, themed “Melestarikan Kesejahteraan Bersama”, with an allocation of RM1.375 billion for operating expenditure (opex) and RM615 million for development expenditure.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the opex for this budget is 25% lower than the amount for this year, following a drop in estimated revenue to RM1.25 billion in 2021 based on the Brent crude oil price of US$40 (RM163.60) per barrel, compared with RM1.66 billion in 2020.
“The projected revenue of RM1.25 billion is based on tax revenue amounting to RM58.56 million, non-tax revenue of RM130.64 million and non-revenue receipt of RM1.06 billion, including RM933.33 million in petroleum royalty.
“Despite the financial constraint, the support and commitment from the federal government in distributing full petroleum royalty and paying the loan for the East Coast Expressway 2, totalling RM1.431 billion, to the state government will hopefully help realise the state’s balanced regional development agenda,” he said when tabling the budget in the state assembly today.
He announced a special incentive of RM800 for some 13,600 civil servants in the state, to be paid in January, as a show of appreciation for their hard work and loyalty.
To enhance shariah administration and law, the state government will build a Shariah High Court Complex in Kemaman with an allocation of RM10 million.
Samsuri also announced RM20 million for the agriculture sector, including RM2.4 million to intensify selected fruit development projects, such as musang king and mango.
To boost tourism, the state government has allocated RM4.5 million for local and international promotional activities and events, apart from creating more tourism products. – Bernama, November 23, 2020
