‘Bonuses will cost RM3.1 billion’‘Bonuses will cost RM3.1 billion’
2010/10/16
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today the government could not pay a month's bonus to the 1.2 million civil servants in Budget 2011 because it incurred a huge expenditure, of RM3.1 billion.
As such, he said, the special financial assistance of RM500 for each civil servant was appropriate.
Najib, who is also the finance minister, said many quarters had lobbied to him to announce a month's bonus to the civil servants.
"But I would like to share with you ... that a month's bonus incurs an expenditure of RM3.1 million for the government. Personally, I would want to give a bonus but as a responsible finance minister, I cannot expend more than the national revenue.
"It is for this reason that I gave RM500 as a special financial assistance to civil servants," he said when addressing the 1Malaysia gathering of teachers at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here.
When tabling Budget 2011 in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Najib announced a special financial assistance of RM500 for all civil servants from Grade 54 and below as well as contract officers and retirees. The payment will be made in December this year.
The prime minister said the aid could help civil servants cope with schooling expenses for their children at the end of the year. - Bernama
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