BUDGET 2008

Budget 2008: Good for all A compassionate Budget filled with goodies for everyone and adequate sweeteners for business that's designed to propel the country into becoming a competetive global players. The Star newspaper

The PM and Finance Minister tabled his Budget for 2008 smiling with his black bag. It was reported that he went to the finance ministry for a last minute check.......what could he do in last minute check? So now that he had announced it, he will fly to Australia on Saturday for the APEC meeting. The MPs have no chance to question it; everyone takes it as it is. In my view a budget must be questioned and scrutinized before it is approved. Here as with all those years ago, the MPs are sitting ducks in Parliament listening to the budget speeches. In my view the PM should have a sitting with the MPs in Parliament present his budget and let the MPs have a say on it. I am sure the BN MPs won't really open their mouths (the party whip). The opposition MPs will have a go at it. I know the PM isnt schooled in economics and accountacy, he can ask his team to be present in Parliament to assist him in handling the technical questions of the budget. This is, my view, a better budget presentation for the MPs to argue and agree before the final draft is approved. When I turn the pages of main newspapers, I always here the same standard replies from the ministers. I dont hear any one say something different at all. The BN government is still supporting the business community. This time around is the housing developers. The drawback is still the workers in the country. Every one is hoping that there will be a further personal tax reduction owing to the high costs of goods and services. The BN government is not thinking of the workers. Though it makes concessions on waving stamp duty and free textbooks to schools, but with personal tax reduction it is helping every worker. The budget should help the workers. EPF is workers' money. In time to come, it doesnt need budget speech to tell the fund what to do. It can implement it through direct instruction or order to the effect that the workers are allowed to withdraw to pay by monthly instalments of houses bought. So here what is PM/FM doing? Must it come through budget? I still hold the view that the budget must be discussed for inputs from the MPs in a special parliament sessions say for 2 days to review and to suggest before final implementation before the budget presentation to announce to the people. As Najib puts it, this isnt a budget for election.