BALANCED, REALISTIC

The welfare of the people of Kedah is at the top of agenda, besides spurring economic growth and achieving sustainable development

ALHAMDULILLAH all praises to the Almighty for His blessings. The Kedah 2018 Budget was passed during the state legislative assembly last week.

It was the second time I tabled the budget and I am grateful to my state executive councillors, state officials and all government agencies at the state and federal levels for their hardwork in preparing the budget.

Themed “Continuing Development, Realising Dreams” the budget is a reflection of the state government’s response to the feedback from the people.

The main strategies of the budget are to improve social justice and the people’s wellbeing, to diversify the state economic base and to achieve sustainable and high yield development.

With the welfare of Kedahans at the top of the agenda, my administration will continue to improve and expand the social security net for the poor and needy.

Among the highlights of the budget is the free water for domestic consumers whose monthly water usage is below 20 cubic metres or RM10 beginning next year.

A sum of RM18 million is allocated for this initiative, which will benefit some 221,000 households. Besides helping to ease the burden of small families and parents who are living alone, the move also promotes awareness on water conservation.

My administration will do its best to address the water woes in several parts of the state, which was among the pledges in the Barisan Nasional manifesto for the 13th General Election in 2013.

This is reflected by the RM1 billion project to upgrade five water treatment facilities to improve water supply to rural areas, after the successful completion of RM60 million Santap water plant, which will resolve water supply issues in Pokok Sena and some parts of Pendang.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak visited the plant during his working visit to Kedah earlier this month.

I must point out that solving Kedah water woes, which were unresolved by the previous Pasled administration, requires billions of ringgit of budget allocation.

Besides building and upgrading existing water treatment plants, the state government is also carrying out a RM1 billion “Jeniang Transfer” project to improve the state’s water reserve capacity.

We are fortunate that the Federal Government is supportive of the state government’s resolve to end the water issues in stages and God willing, all Kedahans will be able to enjoy uninterrupted water supply by 2020.

To complement the Federal Government’s initiatives to ease the burden of the people, especially the needy, the state government will implement several measures next year. Among them:

INCREASING monthly allowance for the hardcore poor, single mothers and disabled persons to RM200 from the previous RM150;

INTRODUCING the RM100 “Dana Warisan Pendidikan Anak Kedah” for children entering Year One next year in the form of National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN-i);

EASING the burden of flood victims by increasing the RM100 one-off cash aid announced earlier