Ewon
KOTA KINABALU: Rural Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick had hoped that the budget would include the issue of oil royalty paid to Sabah as well as the 40 per cent tax revenue as stated in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
He said that if Petronas was giving the federal government a special allocation of RM30 billion, it would mean that the latter can actually hand over 5 per cent of what it received from the national oil company to Sabah making the royalty paid to the state a total of 10 per cent and the money would go to the state’s development.
Commenting on the national 2019 budget, Ewon said, “I hope that the huge allocation of RM60 billion given to the Education Ministry will also benefit the youths in rural Sabah like those in Kampung Tagapalang Paitan who have never gone to school”.
The ministry can also consider providing technical education to help school dropouts as well as those who were not able to pursue further education, he said, adding that he would be able to provide information as to which would be the best platform for this.
“The targeted subsidies in the budget this time are better than previous years but I am concerned about the RM20 million subsidy for electricity that will be given to families registered with e-Kasih,” he pointed out.
“It needs to be improved on as many poor folks in the rural area are not registered under e-Kasih,” he said.
He also suggested that the subsidy be extended to families receiving welfare but were not registered with e-Kasih.
“I will have a frequent communication with Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun as well as strengthen the working relationship between the state and federal ministries.
“We have set up a high powered working committee just for that reason and are the first ministries to do so,” he added.