2018 Budget ‘most comprehensive’
TAWAU: The 2018 National Budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak appears to be the most comprehensive which covers a wide and diverse range of people from all walks of life, said Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Tanjung Batu Youth chief Jhasarry Kang.
Jhasarry said there is no doubt the budget is benefiting the poor, lower and middle income groups of people, students, youths, young couples and women through various incentives and assistance. The 2018 Budget in a way is going to ease the burden of the people, especially to counter the rising cost of living in recent years.
He said last year the 2017 Budget did not focus on the reduction of personal income tax but 2018 Budget covered the middle income group of people by deducting two per cent of income tax in the RM20,000 and RM70,000 bracket.
In other words, the people in this group have an additional disposable income to spend by RM300 to RM1,000. This, of course, he said was something good and it would definitely assist the middle class earners to counter rising of cost of living.
For those who earn lower than that will still benefit from the continuing disbursement of BR1M like the previous budget.
He said that it was grateful to note the government encouraged every Malaysian to save for future by granting initial savings fund of RM200 for every Malaysian baby born between January 2018 and 2022 under the scheme known as Am an ah Dana Anak Malaysia or ADAM 50 and another grant of RM500 to the contributors aged seven to 12 years under the National Education Savings Scheme ( SSPN-i Plus) which was rebranded as 1Malaysia Education Savings Scheme (SSP1M) respectively.
Other incentive like book vouchers worth RM250 remains to be given to Form Six students or those studying at institutes of higher learning.
Another incentive for youths who still have outstanding amount with PTPTN loan is that they will enjoy a 10% discount of half settlement and 20% discount for full settlement. This incentive will encourage repayment from the PTPTN borrowers. It will certainly ease the burden of the youths who are working and to cope with other expenses in life, he said.
For those who want buy an affordable house, the government grants more incentive to the new buyer to purchase an affordable house under the scheme of My Deposit (for purpose of payment of deposit subject to terms and conditions) and PR1MA houses for price below RM250,000.
He said while women were enjoying various incentives from the government, women were set to enjoy 90 days mandatory maternity leave.
Meanwhile, Jhasarry said the government should expedite with the program under KR1M 2.0 so that people at large could buy necessities like rice, oil, sugar, flour and LPG at the lowest price and standardize the price for essential goods between East and West Malaysia.
Jhasarry said the federal government paid more attention to the Sabah state development in terms of basic infrastructure by continuing allocating a huge budget funds to repair dilapidated school (RM1 billion), Pan Borneo Highway project (RM2 billion), construction of rural roads (RM250 million), electricity supply (RM310 million), supply of clean water (RM300 million), surveying and mapping of customary lands (RM20 million), development of communications and broadband facility (RM500 million) and ESSCom as well.
He believes that with this allocation Sabah will continue to develop in line with other states and not fall way behind in terms of basic infrastructure.
In conclusion, he said the 2018 Budget would likely address the current cost of living and expenses of the people at large.
Nevertheless, Jhasarry felt that more should be done in terms of the Malaysian economy and to balance it in a longterm basis.
Clerk Hariyati Rasid, 30, said she felt grateful for 2018 Budget and thankful to the Prime Minister who really feels the pulse of the rakyat. However, she felt the pinch from the rising cost of living and thinks GST is the cause of the rising prices of goods. She felt the GST tax system was a burden to the people at large, so in the end the people would bear the burden of the rising cost of living and cost of goods.
Legal clerk Chong Siew Yen, 31, expects more incentive such as subsidies on essential goods following the continuing increase of cost of goods.
Previously, she said cost of goods was lower compared with the cost of goods nowadays.
For example, he said a plate of economical rice with three dishes cost RM6 to RM7. The price of bread or local food delicacy also increased to RM1 a piece compared with RM1 for three before.
She agreed that the reduction of personal income tax would assist the people so that there is more disposable income for them to spend. At the end, the 2018 Budget will not help all the people at large as not everyone or some groups could have enjoyed the benefit of it.
She felt that more subsidies should be given to the essential goods for the people to cope with continued rising of the cost of living. The government should have balanced the economy by getting more investors into businesses so that more jobs would be created for people, she said.
Another clerk, Chee Kiat Joo, 31, thinks the 2018 Budget is not going to benefit those who have a family and have a child. The reason is the cost of expenses for each family is very high, especially cost of education for a child does not include the cost of daily life.
For example, she has to pay RM320 per month for her child in kindergarten and daily milk and diaper are very expensive nowadays. The petrol price is always not consistent, sometimes high and cost of food is not cheap.
She hopes that the government will give more subsidies for essential goods for babies and the present government must perform by stabilizing the economy.