Zahid denies ministry spent beyond approved allocation

Zahid denies ministry spent beyond approved allocation

PETALING JAYA: Rural and regional development minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today denied that his ministry spent beyond its approved allocations, but said that it sometimes had to pay for expenses which did not have specific allocations.

Zahid said no ministry would spend more than what was announced in the annual budget, Buletin TV3 reported.

“At this ministry, we adhere to the principle that success should not be measured solely by the number of programmes, the number of participants or how much of the budget has been spent,” he was quoted as saying at a joint event with the communications ministry in Cyberjaya.

“We use the existing allocations. If something has not been allocated for but still needs to be paid for, then we have to meet that expense.

“I don’t think the rural and regional development ministry would dare spend beyond what is stated in the budget.”

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Zahid previously complained that contractors had completed rural projects but were facing delayed payments, with some allegedly suffering cash-flow problems or closing down.

In response, Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican said most of this year’s allocation for rural road projects had already been spent, resulting in payment constraints.

Johan said the allocation had been fully disbursed and that the rural and regional development ministry had consistently spent more than its approved annual allocation for rural road projects in recent years.