KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has proposed an increase to the development allocation ceiling from RM200bil to RM230bil for the mid-term period of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) due to rising costs.
“I would like to emphasise that the Federal Government will continue to implement the 9MP (2006-2010) development projects in all states,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, when tabling the motion on the mid-term review of the plan.
For the latter period of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the Government would continue to manage the macro economy in a prudent manner to ensure that the economic fundamentals remained strong, he said.
PM’s hour: Abdullah tabling the motion on the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysian Plan in Parliament Thursday.While the global economic growth is projected to moderate at 4.1% for the 2008-2010 period, the Malaysian economy is forecast to expand at an average of 6% per annum.
Abdullah said the policy and strategy framework for the mid-term review would focus on five main thrusts:
> Moving the economy up the value chain by increasing productivity and competitiveness, generating new sources of growth and expanding the markets for the country’s goods and services;
> Raising the capacity for knowledge and innovation and nurturing a first-class mentality. The strategies include improving the quality of education and accessibility, making national schools a preferred choice, creating tertiary institutions of international standing, nurturing quality R&D and enhancing scientific and innovative capabilities and fostering a society with strong moral and ethical values;
> Addressing persistent socio-economic inequalities between ethnic groups, in which six key strategies would be implemented: poverty eradication, improving income distribution, ownership restructuring, achieving balanced development between regions and the development of the bumiputra commercial and industrial community (BCIC);
> Improving the standard and sustainability of life by increasing healthcare services, meeting housing needs and improving urban services, building basic infrastructure, improving transportation facilities and ensuring environment conservation and sustainable management of resources; and
> Strengthening institutional and implementation capacity of the public service delivery system, increasing confidence in electronic-based services and implementing outcome-based planning, monitoring and evaluation.
