GEORGE TOWN, Nov 6 – Auditor General’s report in 2013 praised the state financial governance successfully recorded a surplus every year, although the Penang Government adopt a budget deficit since 2009, said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at his office here Komtar on Thursday.
Thus, Lim said in a statement described the news report entitled ‘Is the fate of the government’s Budget 2016 Penang DAP?’ which published in the newspaper by Utusan Malaysia on Nov 3, as lead misrepresentation of the State Government. He said the federal government adopts budget deficits, but it is in deficit for 18 years, since 1998 until now.
“The most important thing is when the Financial Statements closed, State Government there is a surplus. It will be played every time that the State had a budget deficit every year. This is a slander of the Messenger,” said Lim during the press conference after the announcement of the 4th Penang International Science Fair.
“Penang Utusan Malaysia was just the one media company who understand the difference between the budget deficit and financial deficit figures are real, when one by one Financial Statements are closed. Obviously he know accounting but he pretended not to know accounting,” he explained.
Elaborating, Lim said that the surplus recorded in the Auditor General’s report in 2013 revealed that the Penang State Government has a financial surplus every year since 2009. The audit reports recorded that the state government had a surplus of RM1,283.35 million in 2013; RM1,184.45 million in 2012; RM1,128.06 million in 2011; RM1,128.66 million in 2010; and RM1,098.02 million in 2009.
“The state government has ended the year 2013 with a surplus of RM1.30 million. This surplus stems from the revenue earned amounted to RM833.72 million compared to expenses totaling RM832.42 million State Government in 2013,” the source quoted the Auditor General Report of Penang in 2013.
In a similar development, Lim expect that the financial governance of the State, which will end on 31 December surplus was also gained, though charged with contingency management costs, due to the federal government’s own conduct Goods & Services Tax (GST) since 1 April.
“We hope we can maintain a record of surplus every year, while this is very challenging Penang budget for this year due to GST. Cost management of its GST alone increased nearly RM50 million, including costs to be absorbed by MBPP and PSP ,” said Lim who is also a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Air Putih.
