THE Ministry of Defence (MinDef) has been allocated a proposed budget of $564 million for the 2016/2017 fiscal year – an increase of 4.7 per cent from the previous year, the second minister of finance revealed during the 12th session of the Legislative Council yesterday.
Despite the increase of $27 million in defence spending, the Second Finance Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdul Rahman Hj Ibrahim said the ministry will adopt several “austerity measures” in light of weak global oil prices.
YB Pehin Dato Hj Abdul Rahman said several planned projects had to be postponed or cancelled in order to adopt more prudent spending, and that some services may be outsourced to improve efficiency.
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