PUTRAJAYA - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today stressed that adjustments to operating expenditure will not affect critical sectors such as healthcare and education.
He said the recruitment of new doctors and nurses, as well as the construction of clinics, will not be affected, while school construction projects, including the addition of new classrooms to accommodate student intake, will proceed as planned.
"The recruitment of doctors and nurses is not affected, the construction of clinics is not impacted… only the scope of more luxurious hospitals will be scaled back,” he said.
He said this to reporters after the Prime Minister’s monthly assembly with ministry staff at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) here today.
In addition, Anwar said that although the Education Ministry’s expenditure has been reduced, the construction of new classrooms to accommodate current student intake remains unaffected.
As such, Anwar criticised certain parties for reacting hastily without basing their views on facts regarding the government’s spending restructuring measures.
He explained that cost-saving efforts are focused on expenditures deemed excessive, including overseas courses, events held at luxury hotels, and development projects that go beyond actual needs.
Courses that can be conducted locally will now be held within the country, while official events are encouraged to take place at ministry premises to reduce costs.
"Events at luxury hotels will be stopped and held at ministries instead. Construction scopes that exceed normal requirements will be scaled back,” he said.
On April 29, the Finance Ministry confirmed that guidelines had been issued to ministries and agencies to restructure operating expenditure, in line with challenges arising from global supply disruptions and rising subsidy commitments.
The move is part of a prudent fiscal management approach to optimise government resources and ensure continued support for the people. - BERNAMA