KUALA LUMPUR: Parliament yesterday approved an additional RM4.14 billion sought by the government to cover its operating (RM2.22 billion) and development (RM1.92 billion) expenditure. The additional budget was passed with a simple majority after the bill was debated by Members of Parliament from both political affiliations since Monday. 

On March 23, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) tabled the Supplementary Supply (2014) Bill 2015 to seek Parliament’s endorsement for a sum of RM2.22 billion for operating expenditure. The next day, the MoF put in another motion to seek RM1.92 billion as supplementary development expenditure. This was stated on the Order Paper.

When asked on the different sums stated on the Order Paper and the Supplementary Supply Bill, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong said the figures are for two different things.

“One is operating expenditure, one is development expenditure,” Chua told reporters at the parliament lobby yesterday morning. However, he did not elaborate further and left immediately. 

This is the second supplementary supply bill passed by the Parliament for the allocation for 2014. The sum requested by the government was for unexpected expenses not provided for under Budget 2014.

The first Supplementary Supply (2014) Bill 2014 had sought Parliament’s endorsement of RM4.11 billion for operating expenditure.

The passing of the second additional budget yesterday means the government has sought an additional RM8.25 billion, apart from the allocation of RM264.2 billion for Budget 2014 tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in October 2013.

During the wrapping up session of the second reading yesterday, Chua had said that although the government had tabled the supplementary supply bill, the deficit to gross domestic product is still within 3.5% for 2014.

He said the government is committed to narrowing the deficit to 3.2% in 2015.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on April 1, 2015.