USING PUBLIC MONEY TO REALLY BENEFIT THE PEOPLE

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- Public money should be used in a way that
really benefits the people, says Prime Minister Najib Razak.

He says it is for this reason that the government will look at projects that
constitute a high priority for the people.

"So the government is conscious of this, and hopefully we will be able to
meet the expectations of the people," he says in his blog www.1malaysia.com.my
under the title "Responding to Comments - Government Spending for Public
Programmes".

Najib was responding to a member of the public who had commented that the
government should make a proper Return on Investment (ROI) evaluation - in terms
of social value, human capital, health, etc - before allocating a budget to any
programme because if the government has proper justification, nobody can
question it.

"I fully agree with you that we have to spend wisely and prudently because
we are using public money," the prime minister says in his response.

For example, Najib says, the government has embarked on the National Key
Result Areas (NKRAs) and the six NKRAs that it has identified are, according to
the government's assessment, areas of priority, as inspired by the people.

He says the people want to see eradication of poverty, better public
transport, reduction in crime and corruption, quality education, and the people
also want the government to help the disadvantaged groups.

"So, these are the areas that will receive the highest priority under the
10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015)," he says.

At the same time, Najib says that the government also has to get the economy
moving, and for this reason has decided on a Facilitation Fund to the tune of
RM20 billion (US$6.25 billion) under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

He says that hopefully the government will be able to act as an enabler for
the private sector to invest.

"By using a comparatively small amount of public money, we can manage to
trigger a much higher level of private sector investment," says Najib.
-- BERNAMA


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