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PETALING JAYA: All funds for development expenditure and operating expenditure under the 2023 budget must be used up by the end of the year, says deputy finance minister Ahmad Maslan.

He said the remaining allocations yet to be utilised amounted to RM388.1 billion.

Bernama reported him as saying that as of Thursday, 26 ministries had used up 82% of the development expenditure and 92% of the operating expenditure.

“As such, the ministries need to finish the balance from the 2023 budget by Dec 31.

“For the 2024 budget, the total is RM393.8 billion, with RM303.8 billion for operating expenditure and RM90 billion for development expenditure,” he said after officiating a heart health awareness programme at Dewan Muafakat, Benut, Pontian, today.

Commenting on the 2022 Auditor-General’s Report, he regretted the “loss” of RM681.71 million of public money and considered it a big sum as the people had hoped that projects planned by the various ministries would be implemented properly.

Ahmad, who is MP for Pontian, said based on the report, all 26 ministries need to take note of this year’s (2023) expenditure under the unity government so that this matter does not arise again.

Earlier, Auditor-General Wan Suraya Wan Radzi said the loss of money was related to the exemption of fines imposed on the late supply of fertilisers, channelling of padi subsidies and intensive planting aid, failure to collect land lease revenue, and replacement of firearms that had been disposed of.