RM4.44m spent on overseas missions
> 131 trips over three-year period to enhance development, says Lim
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government has spent a total of RM4.44 million from June 2013 to September 2016 on overseas missions
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said 131 missions were conducted over that period with 16 in 2013 (RM444,968.60), 46 in 2014 (RM1.27 million), 35 in 2015 (RM1.9 million) and 34 as at September, 2016 (RM778,148.95).
He said these overseas trips had benefited the state economy, strengthen international relations and enhanced the tourism, environment, agriculture, education, medical, industrial and technological sectors.
He said new ideas were created to improve the economy, especially the small and medium enterprise sectors.
On environmental affairs, Lim said these missions helped make cooperation between countries easier with regard to energy conservation, recycling processes, solid waste management and handling global warming.
He said new agriculture technology and processes could be identified for use in Penang and cited examples of using spirulina in managing waste water from farms and tapping renewable energy from farm waste.
“These visits are aimed at enhancing the development of Penang and each mission is planned in detail with specific objectives,” he said in reply to Ong Kok Fooi (DAP–Berapit).
When debating the Supply Bill 2017 later, Datuk Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain Shah (BN–Teluk Bahang) questioned the state on tabling deficit budgets yearly only to declare a surplus when the accounts close.
He asked if the state had conducted a study to identify why allocations were left unspent and whether the state was using cost-saving as a way to earn political mileage.
Elaborating on the matter, Shah Headan urged the state to use excess funds to generate economic activity by spending on infrastructure projects like building roads especially during uncertain economic times.