Anwar queries health sector allocation in budget
OPPOSITION leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has raised questions over allocations in the 2021 Budget for the health sector as it did not specify the amount set aside for Covid-19 vaccination.
“We couldn’t find the (details on the) RM3 billion supposedly for the vaccine as announced by the government in the budget (tabled in the Dewan Rakyat). Instead, we only found allocations set aside for others.
“If the vaccine has yet to be discovered, how could the government estimate its expenditure, hence making a forecast on the country’s economic growth (as per the 2021 Budget)?” he said in his debate speech on the 2021 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He also urged the Finance Ministry to ensure a more transparent tender process and competitive prices for public health procurements.
Fahm iF adzil(P HLembah Pantai) interjected, suggesting that the much-criticised RM85.5 million allocation for Special Affairs Department be channelled to the non-health frontliners instead.
Anwar also suggested that the RM19 billion from the development allocation should be transferred to the Covid-19 fund as public health and job security should be the main focus of the government.
He also repeated calls for an extension of the moratorium on bank l oans, which would increase the people’s disposable income and in turn help raise private consumption.
Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH-Kuala Selangor) said some of the operational expenditure (opex) allocation was transferred to capital expenditure (capex) under the 2021 Budget.
In tabling the 2021 Budget last Friday, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the government was committed to acquire Covid-19 vaccines through its participation in Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access, with an estimated cost of RM3 billion.
The Health Ministry received some RM27.2 billion for opex and RM4.7 billion for capex under the 2021 Budget.