Chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa will monitor the implementation of projects and programmes announced in Budget 2018 to ensure that it will benefit the people and the country fully.
“I will personally monitor the implementation of projects and programmes announced in the 2018 budget, and this will be a key performance indicator for secretaries-general of ministries and directors-general of departments and agencies,” he told reporters today.
Describing Budget 2018 tabled by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday as the best throughout his tenure in civil service since 1981, he said it was the most complete, holistic, sustainable, inclusive, and comprehensive.
“All citizens benefit (from the budget) regardless of ethnicity, gender and sectoral issues such as housing, environment, urban development; all are taken into account and this shows the government’s concern for the well-being of the people,” he said.
In this regard, he urged civil servants to give their full commitment to their responsibilities.
He also hoped civil servants would strive even harder to improve their service delivery to the people and country.
Earlier, he flagged off about 4,000 participants of the Putrajaya Pink October Run 2017 at Dataran Putrajaya today.
Also present were Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Health Ministry secretary-general Dr Chen Chaw Min and National Association of Wives of Civil Servants and Women Civil Servants (Puspanita) president Rohani Abdullah.
While tabling Budget 2018, Najib announced various incentives and improvements to public service, including a second time-based promotion; flexible working hours for medical specialists; new working hours from 9am to 6pm; unrecorded leave for those who want to perform umrah and increase of the lowest pension rate to RM1,000 a month for those who had served at least 25 years.
The prime minister also announced a RM1,500 special assistance for civil servants, to be disbursed twice – RM1,000 in January 2018 and RM500 before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, while pensioners will also receive RM750, where RM500 would be paid out in January 2018 and the rest before Hari Raya Aidilfitri next year.
On the introduction of new working hours from 9am to 6pm, Ali said working parents would be able to manage their families better such as sending their children to school before clocking in at 9am. “This will also facilitate civil servants’ daily activities,” he added.
- Bernama
