KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The Unity Government, via the Malaysia Madani Budget 2024, has made allocations to implement the institutional and legal reform agenda to end the people’s suffering, eradicate corrupt practices, reduce bureaucracy, and develop a stable political system.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Special Task Force on Agency Reform (STAR), chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government, managed to expedite the implementation of projects, especially involving overcrowding in hospitals and the improvement of dilapidated schools and clinics.
As such, for next year, the STAR team has been tasked with expediting the implementation of the RM91 million lift maintenance projects and the RM170 million maintenance of government quarters.
“RM2.4 billion will be allocated to construct, maintain, and repair the quarters housing civil servants, teachers, as well as hospital, police, military and fire department personnel,” he said when tabling Budget 2024 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
In addition, after passing the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Bill 2023, the Unity Government is now committed to tabling the Government Procurement Bill next year.
Anwar also announced a RM18 million allocation to launch legal reforms, including preparation for the Alternative Punishment for the Mandatory Death Penalty Bill.
The government will allocate RM38 million for the judiciary to increase the productivity of Malaysia's judiciary, with the allocation covering the priority to repair infrastructure, as well as outdated and damaged court information and communication technologies (ICT) facilities.
“This includes RM20 million to empower the Judicial Academy Malaysia and Malaysia Syariah Judiciary Academy in training higher court judges more systematically and effectively,” he said.
In addition, in the efforts on public institutional reforms, based on studies carried out to further improve revenue sustainability, social protection, governance of government-linked companies (GLCs) and national management, the government will implement several recommendations, including improving the imposition of stamp duty and coordinating the administration of tax incentives to reduce revenue collection reduce leakage.
“They include strengthening the tax administration, including simplifying tax returns and centralising tax collection efforts, expanding social protection system coverage involving senior citizens and the informal sector, as well as restructuring development finance institutions (DFIs) through the merger of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad, SME Bank and Exim Bank.
“Empowering the venture capital environment through centralising the venture capital agencies like Penjana Kapital and Mavcap under Khazanah Nasional Berhad,” Anwar said.
— Bernama
