‘Incentives to boost civil sector’
MUCH NEEDED BOOST: Implementation of measures to be expedited, says Ali Hamsa
THE civil sector will hit the ground running to implement the measures listed in 2017 Budget .
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa yesterday vowed that the public sector would quickly execute the measures so that civil servants would benefit from it.
“Malaysia’s civil service will continue to move in tandem with the government in realising the aspiration of building a balanced economic growth and to safeguard the people’s welfare,” he posted on his Facebook account.
He said the budget took into consideration matters that needed to be addressed to boost the civil sector, including allowing government servants to further their studies with a full salary and scholarships to equip them with the right set of skills and knowledge.
Thanking the government for incentives dedicated to those in the civil sector, Ali expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the decision to give RM500 special assistance to all public servants and RM250 for government retirees.
Ali reminded civil servants to boost their productivity and strengthen their level of integrity.
“I want to stress that despite incidents of embezzlement committed by a few, majority of those in the civil sector uphold the principles of public service,” he said.
The Congress of Unions of Employees in Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Datuk Azih Muda said the incentives for civil servants were made with good considerations.
“Allowing government servants to further their studies with a full salary and scholarships will give them an opportunity to be holistic workers and better themselves with knowledge,” he said.
On the contract extension of service and contract for service officers that expire at the end of this year, Azih said he hoped that it would be followed by all employers and those who do not should be reported.
Meanwhile, the government’s initiative to strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) will allow the industry to fill the gap of skilled workers.
Under 2017 Budget, a total of RM4.6 billion was allocated for TVET.
Malaysian Employers Federation executive director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan said: “The development of highly-skilled human capital is essential to help Malaysia shift towards higher-value and knowledge intensive activities that are the hallmarks of an advanced nation.
“Investments in human capital are vital to the improvement of personal wellbeing due to its many socio-economic benefits. RM90 million for improvements of English is also positive,” he said.
Meanwhile, the manufacturing industry is expected to get a boost through the development and growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The government has allocated a total of RM75 million to implement programmes under the SME Master Plan as announced by Najib yesterday.
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Tan Sri Saw Choo Boon said: “The numerous programmes and incentives focusing on the development of SMEs are expected to boost the development and growth of SMEs and entrepreneurship.”
Saw said the reduction in income taxes for companies would motivate businesses to increase their revenue.
“However, FMM hopes to see the extension of this incentive to the overall chargeable income in view of the same steps that have been taken by other regional economies,” Saw said.