ALOR STAR: Kedah government today tabled a RM804 million budget for 2015 which emphasises on completing projects and programmes under the 10th Malaysia Plan while striving to balance the capital economy and the people's economy.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (BN Ayer Hitam) said it would be a deficit budget of RM60 million against projected revenue of RM744 million.
Mukhriz said from the total allocation for operating expenditure, RM194 million would be used to fund development deficit under the State Development Fund.
He added that the state government had also identified six catalyst projects to spearhead the state economic development.
"The projects are Kulim International Airport (KXP), Kedah Aerocity, Sungai Petani-Kedah Inner Expressway (Spike), Kedah Rubber City, Kedah Science and Technology Park and Kedah Medical Science City," he said when tabling the budget in the Kedah State Legislative Assembly here.
In line with the aim to optimise Kedah potential, Mukhriz also told the House that the state government was setting up the State Economic Council to facilitate and expedite investment process to further accelerate economic growth.
To mitigate the impact of fallen rubber commodity price and higher cost of living, Mukhriz said the state government would introduce a house rental subsidy scheme for hardcore poor families in Kedah.
He later announced a half-month bonus or minimum RM500 for Kedah civil servants.