NUSAJAYA: The Johor government will spend more than RM500 million on development next year, which is the highest amount ever allocated for this purpose in the state budget history.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who tabled the state budget themed "Inclusive, Sustainable and for the Wellbeing of Johor" today, said the allocation for development was increased by almost 50 per cent this time around as compared to last year's budget for the same purpose.
"The estimated development expenditure next year is expected to reach RM541 million, which is an increase of 47.76 per cent from the RM366.20 million from this year. This amount is the highest in the history of Johor's budget," said Khaled in the state assembly here.
Johor's development expenditure for next year comprised RM155 million for physical, social and projects of public importance under the Menteri Besar's Office, RM213 million for economic programmes, RM95 million for the development of infrastructure and amenities, RM45 million for Islamic religious development and RM33 million for drainage and irrigation projects.
Khaled today tabled a surplus state budget for the fifth year in a row, with a projected revenue of RM1.43 billion against estimated expenditure of RM1.42 billion for next year.
Khaled said the RM1.56 million surplus budget came amidst an upward trend of state revenue.
"The state's revenue collection as of Nov 17 this year reached RM1.35 billion or 108 per cent of its initial estimate. For next year, the state's revenue is estimated to increase by 15.04 per cent to RM1.43 billion," Khaled told the state legislative assembly in a budget themed "Inclusive, Sustainable and for the Wellbeing of Johor".
He said Johor's Gross Domestic Product was expected to reach 5.5 per cent next year, as it was buoyed by an increase in foreign and domestic investment.
"Johor recorded the highest amount of investment at national-level with RM30 billion as of September this year, which exceeded several other states in Malaysia," he said.