KUALA LUMPUR: The Budget 2023 presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Friday has been described as a great effort by the government to assist Malaysians in all sectors, including healthcare and business.
In PERAK, Human Resource, Health and Indian Community Affairs Committee chairman A. Sivanesan said the government’s announcement of upgrading and expanding the almost one-decade-old Kuala Kangsar Hospital will result in more effective medical facilities for local residents.
“It will benefit not only Kuala Kangsar residents but will provide so much more in terms of medical facilities...Currently, patients need to make a long trip from Pengkalan Hulu to Taiping for specialist treatment at Kuala Kangsar,“ he said, adding that a meeting at the National Action Health Committee will be held to discuss the total costs needed soon.
Anwar had announced that the health sector would receive RM36.3 billion in allocations, with initial work being conducted to upgrade 26 hospitals, including the expansion of Kuala Kangsar Hospital; Jelebu Hospital, Negeri Sembilan and Pontian Hospital, Johor.
Meanwhile in TERENGGANU, food eatery operator, Omar Abd Aziz, 52, said the government’s announcement about loans for small and medium enterprises (SME) was aimed at helping businesses that are still trying to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Omar said with the loan facility, he is thinking of opening a new branch, something he postponed due to financial constraints due to the implementation of the movement control order.
“I do ask that the government reduce the bureaucratic red tape to speed up the loan process, as the existing process has many conditions and requires borrowers to meet many parties,” he told Bernama recently.
Anwar had said during the Budget 2023 presentation that almost RM10 billion in loans for SMEs would be prepared by Bank Negara Malaysia to reduce their financial burdens and support their expansion plans. - Bernama