KUALA LUMPUR: The country's financial statements are stable as of last year despite the country's debt increasing to RM1.39 trillion as stated in the 2022 Auditor General's Report.
When speaking at a press conference at the Parliament lobby, Auditor General Datuk Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi said even though the debt has increased, revenue and the gross domestic product (GDP) has improved.
She said this was the reason the Auditor General Department issued an 'Auditor General's Certificate with an Unreserved Opinion with the Other Matters'.
"The certificate is considered a higher rank that we have issued compared to the last three years.
"We need more money for programme implementations, hence the reason we allowed for the government to utilise loans to carry out developments and repayments.
"This is much better than last year (2021)," she said today when asked if the increased debt is a cause for concern for the government.
Also present during the press conference was Public Accounts Committee (PAC) vice chairman Wong Shu Qi.
She said the country's recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic was positive with the increase of direct taxes and non-tax revenues as stated in the report.
"There must be more allocations for development while at the same time managing our debt.
"The funds are needed for the implementation of physical and non-physical programmes.
"We are looking forward for what the Finance Ministry has in store in the Budget tabling," she added.