Supplementary Supply (2016) Bill passed

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MAKING A POINT: Second Finance Minister Dato’ Sri Wong Soon Koh (second right) addresses a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex media room. From right are Assistant Minister of Transportation Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa, and Dudong assemblyman Datuk Tiong Thai King.

KUCHING: The State Legislative Assembly (DUN) yesterday passed the Supplementary Supply (2016) Bill, 2017 for the first supplementary estimates of ordinary expenditure, 2016 comprising an additional sum of RM189,312,700.

Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh tabled the Bill which was seconded by Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin.

“This additional expenditure is to meet the cost of various services incurred by various ministries and departments for which funds were not provided for or insufficiently provided for in the 2016 estimates,” said Wong when tabling the Bill yesterday.

He also noted that for the first supplementary estimates of development expenditure, 2016, there were 25 sub activities and 58 sub-sub activities for which additional provisions were required.

“The total additional allocation required is RM12,600,380. The amount required has been vired from savings among the sub heads concerned or advanced from contingencies advanced.”

At a press conference held in the Media Room of DUN Complex later, Wong said the first supplementary estimates of ordinary expenditure, 2016 was needed as “some of the funds utilised by some departments and agencies have not been provided for or have not been sufficiently provided for.”

“Therefore, we need this session of DUN to present a supplementary estimates amounting to RM189,312,700. These are additional expenditure which have not been provided for or which have not been sufficiently provided for during the original estimates.”

For the supplementary estimates of development expenditure, 2016, which amounted to RM12,600,380, he said this amount was mainly for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (now Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports).

“This additional sum is for the ministry to boost the state’s tourism industry.”

On another matter, Wong also revealed that Sarawak has once again been certified a clean bill of financial health by the auditor-general (AG).

“In the AG’s Report for Public Account of State of Sarawak for the year ending Dec 31, 2015, we have been certified a clean bill of financial health for 14 consecutive years.

“This means that our financial statement for 2015 has been able to maintain such good track record for the 14th consecutive year,” he said.

He also said the report concerning the state’s public account was only laid on the table in DUN this session was because the state government had to wait for Parliament to pass the AG’s Report first.

“We couldn’t do it in the last (DUN) session because we had to wait until Parliament has passed the AG’s Report before it can be brought to the DUN,” he said, noting that the report was tabled in Parliament on Nov 21, 2016.