What AG's report says on Kedah

Harakahdaily

Oct 25: The Kedah state government achieved a 135.8 percent increase in state revenue with a  record surplus budget for 2010 at RM22.50 million, compared to deficit of RM62.89 million in 2009, says the latest Auditor General's report on the state. “State expenditure meanwhile only rose by RM2.55 million or 0.6 percent. This led to a surplus for the state government in 2010,” it said. Last year, the AG rated Kedah’s financial position as satisfactory with a consolidated revenue increase of 23.9, from  RM265.52 million to RM328.28 million in 2009.The increase, says the latest report, reduced the balance of the Consolidated Revenue Account deficit in 2010 by a total of RM22.50 million or 7 percent, from RM320.73 million down to RM298.23 in 2009.   The report however cautions the state over the increase in loans from the Federal government by RM249.81 million in 2010, bringing the total amount to RM2.61 billion from RM2.38 billion in 2009. It urges the state to take more effective measures to recover arrears of revenue as 2010 had registered only RM172.67 million, a fall of 13.5 percent or RM27.16 million, compared to RM199.83 million in 2009. On projects under the Nineth Malaysia Plan, the report rates the state’s project implementation as of 31 December 2010 as satisfactory with RM2.51 billion or 73.3 percent from the RM3.42 billion allocated being spent. It also commends the state government for improving the financial management of its agencies compared to 2009, with four agencies getting the ‘very good’ rate, 12 ‘good’ and one as 'satisfactory'. “Overall, the financial management of the state’s agencies has improved compared to 2009,” it notes.