SABAH Chief Minister Musa Aman tabled a RM4.104 billion 2018 budget for the state, with a surplus of RM64.89 million.

This is the fourth consecutive surplus budget tabled by the state government, which was 9.7% higher than the RM3.78 billion 2017 State budget.

The budget will come in the back of a positive projected revenue collection next year, estimated around RM4.169 billion, he said.

“Despite the volatile global economy, the government would still be able to formulate a surplus budget for next year. It is a surplus budget again.

“We are confident to hit the projected collection,” he said when unveiling the budget, themed “Memperkasakan economi, mensejahterakan Rakyat”.

Of the revenue collection, RM1.128 billion will come from taxes, RM2.638 billion (63.3%) from non-taxable resources and RM401.5 million from non-revenue receipts.

Another, RM1.246 billion comes from petroleum royalties, which Musa said was the highest amount paid to the state to date.

“The Sabah government expect the amount of royalty will increase next year to RM1.318 billion… The government also urged any government linked companies and agencies still owing the government to double their effort to settle their debts,” he said.

The Sabah government will spend RM763.67 million on emoluments, RM1.3 billion on regular expenditure and RM2.039 billion special expenditure.

A sum of RM1.09 billion has been proposed as developmental expenditure, in which RM838.31 million comes from state funds and RM251.75 million from federal, said Musa.

Another RM820 million will be made out to the State Development Fund Group, added Musa.

The highest allocation had gone to the state finance ministry with RM1.787 billion, followed by the infrastructure development ministry with RM958.75 million.

The Chief Minister’s Department received RM484.69 million in supply allocation and RM194.25 million in development allocation, the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry meanwhile received RM314.65 million (supply) and RM117.41 million (development), Community Development and Consumer Affairs Ministry RM140.64 million (supply) and RM6.66 million (development), Tourism, Culture and Environmental Ministry RM113.27 million (supply) and RM13.81 million (development), Local Government and Housing Ministry RM84.15 million (supply) and RM25.50 million (development), Resources Development and Information Technology Ministry RM91.97 million (supply) and RM5 million (development), Rural Development Ministry RM76.33 million (supply) and RM175.72 million (development), Youth and Sports Ministry RM68.37 million (supply) and RM8.55 million (development), Industrial Development Ministry RM15.52 million (supply) and RM14.9 million (development), other non-ministerial expenses RM28.95 million and liability expenses RM216.89 million. – November 17, 2017.