BUDGET: PERFORMANCE NO LONGER BASED ON SPENDING ABILITY

IPOH (Malaysia), July 6 (Bernama) -- Starting in the coming budget, the
government will no longer measure performance based on the spending ability of
agencies but rather on whether projects are implemented to the people's
satisfaction, Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said.

He said the ministry would set a higher benchmark, which would be based on
the impact of projects on the people.

He said that previous budgets focused more on the ability of agencies to
spend money allocated to them.

"For instance, if a ministry allocated with RM1 million fund is able to
spend the amount during the stipulated period, it is considered a good ministry.

"Now we want to see beyond that. We want to know if the people are satisfied
with it," he told reporters here after inspecting roads at a village in this
northern city Sunday.

Ahmad Husni also said that the ministry would adopt new approaches in facing
the challenges of strengthening the economy.

"We must be able to tell which strategy is still relevant and what new
approach we should adopt," he said.
-- BERNAMA