BR1M does not increase country's deficit: Chua
Published on: Thursday, October 30, 2014
KUALA LUMPUR: The handing out of the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) has not increased the country's deficit, although there has been an increase in the number of recipients and value of the aid annually, the Dewan Rakyat was told Wednesday.Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong said the country's deficit had in fact, reduced since BR1M was introduced in 2012, and is expected to reach three per cent in 2015.He said there were 4.2 million BR1M recipients in 2012 and the number was expected to increase by 73 per cent to 7.1 million next year, and the value of the aid to increase 160 per cent, from RM2.1 billion in 2012 to RM5.2 billion.
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"The government always evaluates the country's fiscal and financial situation before announcing aid to be given," he said in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir (BN-Kulim Bandar Baharu).Abdul Aziz wanted to know the government's mechanism in ensuring that BR1M did not burden the country in future.The country's fiscal deficit was reduced from 4.5 per cent in 2012 to four per cent in 2013 and is expected to drop further to 3.5 per cent this year.In response to a supplementary question from Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong) on measures to avoid abuse in the distribution of BR1M, Chua said the selection of the recipients was based on the stipulated criteria.
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