SHAH ALAM - The Finance Ministry has received a record number of feedback submissions for Budget 2024, with over 8,000 people participating in face-to-face feedback sessions and over 11,000 responses submitted through the MoF portal.
Deputy Finance Minister II Steven Sim Chee Keong revealed the numbers to the press members when met at the Think City Documentaries screening at Dadi Cinema, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, today.
He said that Budget 2024 aims to reflect the aspirations of all levels of Malaysian society, regardless of race, religion, gender, or state.
When asked about the possibility of reducing certain subsidies in Budget 2024, Sim said that the government would instead implement more targeted subsidies for the people.
"We have already started this year in January when the government did a targeted subsidy even though it only affected about one per cent of industrial users.
"However, in the first six months of this year we have managed to save almost RM4 billion.
"What we do with this saving money is that we channel it back either in industrial development projects or people's welfare projects directly.
"So don't worry about this, what we want is to achieve a more effective subsidy," he added.
The national Budget 2024 is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Oct 13 with a continued focus on the welfare of the people, extension and improvement of aid and assistance, as well as the development of the country's infrastructure.