World · Malaysia Bureau
Establish independent body to track ministry spending, urges Puad
A senior Malaysian official has called for the creation of a dedicated monitoring mechanism to oversee government ministry expenditure. The proposal aims to curb both wasteful overspending and problematic underspending, particularly when urgent public needs require funding.
LSN Malaysia ·
Puad Zarkashi has advocated for establishing a special oversight body tasked with scrutinising the financial performance of government ministries across the country. The mechanism would serve as a safeguard against fiscal mismanagement in both directions, addressing concerns about wasteful allocation as well as insufficient deployment of budgeted funds.
According to Puad, the proposed monitoring system should be equipped to identify instances where ministries exceed their allocated budgets, potentially indicating poor planning or resource management. Equally important, he emphasised, is the detection of underspending patterns that leave critical public services unfunded despite available resources.
Puad stressed that ministries should not retain unspent funds when pressing national needs remain unmet. The approach underscores the need for more dynamic budget management, where financial allocations are adjusted based on actual service demands and priorities throughout the fiscal year.
The proposal reflects broader concerns about government spending efficiency and accountability. By establishing an independent body to monitor ministry expenditure patterns, officials aim to ensure that taxpayer money is deployed effectively to meet public service obligations and national development goals.