SHAH ALAM, Sept 7 — The Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) will not spend beyond the allocation approved by the government, said Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the ministry’s spending was based on the allocation announced in the budget or the amount approved by the government.
“What has been spent indirectly answers the question raised by KSP (Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican). No ministry can spend beyond what was stated in the budget speech or the approved allocation,” he said when opening the Strategic Collaboration Workshop between the Rural Community Centres (PKD) of the ministry and National Information Dissemination Centres (NADI) in Cyberjaya, today.
The issue concerning KKDW’s allocation arose following Zahid’s remarks on delays in payments to contractors carrying out projects under the ministry.
Zahid said the delays had affected contractors involved in government projects, stressing that the matter needed to be resolved to prevent payment delays from persisting.
On Sept 2, Johan said there were no restrictions on KKDW’s allocation for rural road projects and that the full allocation for the projects had been disbursed.
