Barisan MPs laud Budget 2013 as well-rounded
BARISAN MPS welcomed Budget 2013, saying it had taken into account the needs of a wide range of the society.
Deputy Education Minister and Wangsa Maju MP Wee Ka Siong meanwhile lauded the allocation of RM500mil to train more teachers, which he said was an important component in the implementation of the Education Blueprint.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamalluddin said the Budget was a responsible and long-term plan for a sustainable economy.
"This is not a populist Budget. We are giving what we can afford.
"We see Government revenue increasing, so we can spend more. There is also re-prioritisation of our spending from past years. The most important thing is we can give the incentives while lowering the deficit. The deficit is still manageable.
"This Budget is based on a lean estimate of national revenue. Although we forecast a higher deficit than the Opposition, ours is more realistic, based on economic forecasts and our projections," he said.
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the announcement that the Government would organise the Putrajaya Youth Festival next year showed it recognised the importance of youth in the country.
Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal denied claims that the Budget 2013 was formulated to woo voters.
"Although the general election is near, the Government had carefully formulated the Budget so that it will not give a negative impact on the economy," he said.
He added that the additional RM4.5bil for the ministry would benefit the lower income group especially those in Sabah and Sarawak.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said that the allocation of RM50mil by the SME Bank in the form of soft loans, aimed at youths aged 30 and below, would give the young ones easier access to credit to kickstart their own businesses.
MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel commended the Govern-ment's move to increase the allocation for Tamil schools.
Tangga Batu MP Datuk Idris Haron, also the SPNB chairman, said that the Government had allocated a substantial amount of funds to provide better and more affordable housing, especially for young adults who just entered the workforce.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam said the emphasis placed on improving the employability of graduates was to ensure that their skills matched the requirements of today's market.
"This includes the proposed Graduate Employability Blueprint which is supposed to be announced at the end of the year," he said.
-The Star-
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