BUDGET FOR INDIANS TO BE AUDITED
Not all allocations for their socioeconomic development have reached them, says minister
THE National Audit Department has been asked to audit how much of the government allocation for the socio-economic development of the Indian community, under the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB), has actually reached the community.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy said even though the previous government proposed many development programmes to help the Indian community through the plan, not all provisions had reached them.
“The new government has instructed the National Audit Department to find out the truth regarding the actual amount that reached the people.”
He was responding to a supplementary question by Datuk C. Sivarraajh (Barisan Nasional-Cameron Highlands) on the Pakatan Harapan government’s plans to ensure the socioeconomic development of the Indian community during a questionand-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat.
Waytha Moorthy said the department began an audit on the Socioeconomic Development Unit for the Indian Community (Sedic) on Sept 26.
To a question by M. Karupaiya (PH-Padang Serai), he said the government had spent more than RM203.7 million for the development of the Indian community from 2014 to last year.
He said through the 2019 Budget, the PH government planned to improve the socioeconomic status of Indians, including empowering women, continuing the participation of the Bottom 40 per cent income group in the national development agenda and promoting home ownership.