BACHOK, Oct 12 -- The Kelantan Pakatan Rakyat (PH) described the 2020 Budget tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday will restore people’s confidence in the government’s ability to manage the country’s economy.

Its chairman Senator Datuk Husam Musa said prior to this some were pessimistic about PH government’s economic position and ability due to problems inherited from the previous administration’s financial management.

“However, in this budget I believe the people will see that PH government has laid the groundwork for economic growth for years to come.

“Overall, I see this budget will restore the people’s confidence and they are beginning to believe that PH government can manage to grow the economy via the 2020 Budget,” he told reporters at the launch of crop fertigation programme and the signing of memorandum of understanding between the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) and the Fergap Enterprise here, today.

During the tabling of the 2020 Budget yesterday, the government allocated a total expenditure of RM297 billion, excluding contingency reserve of RM2 billion.

Lim said this was an increase of RM19.5 billion compared to RM277.5 billion in 2019, excluding the one-off allocation for outstanding GST and income tax refunds.

Meanwhile, Husam, who is also chairman of the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (KADA), said the agency received the allocation as requested.

He said with the allocation, he hoped to expand the assistance and support in the non-paddy sector to generate farmers’ income in the KADA zone as well as to boost the country’s rice production.

-- BERNAMA