Budget 2012

The 2012 Budget Announcement last Friday brought much cheers to many especially the lower income segment of the community and public servants. It is said a people friendly budget. The measures have been focusing on minimising the pain for escalating cost of living in the urban area, reducing the cost of doing business, ensuring general public of affordable housing and transportation as well as maintaining the competitiveness environment of Malaysia for investors and businesses. It is also the hope of improving the benefits of public servants will help in enhancing the effectiveness and quality of public delivery service. Although nothing is sure on this, the measure has however uplifted the morale of the public work force. Hopefully with the emphasize on innovation, public service will be more creative, innovative and leading the way in enhancing the quality service delivery. I believe we can produce more Steve Jobbs alike by giving individual public servant a chance to be innovated instead of the conventional bureaucratise way of protocol.

For environmental front, the tax incentive for hybrid and electric car will be extended until 2013. It is in fact a good move of encouraging hybrid car as an alternative to the present mode of transportation. Perhaps the local authority can compliment this effort by offering some incentive to encourage more such model replacing the existing vehicle. For example, car parking incentive and priority parking. Having said this, the changes might have help in reducing the emission of CO2, it does not help in reducing the car volume on the road. At the end of the day, I presume providing efficient and affordable public transportation is still the way forwards. It will be nicer also if more incentives have been provided for corporates and individual to do more greenery things. For example, shall i enjoy some tax rebate for recycling waste in my house, for reducing rubbish generation, for using less water and electricity, for supporting local products and etc.

For social front, this year must be a good starting for many good years to come. For the household earning RM3000 and below, a hand out of RM500 is given. For taxi drivers buying local made model vehicle is also getting big relief. For family with schooling children, the offering for education is also good. Basically nobody is left out from the list. It is only hope that what have been intended for will be utilised 100% for the purpose for greatest benefits, and no other else.

For local authority, it must be a year full with challenges. The challenge of businesses encountering stir competition and possible economic slow down, the residents facing with escalating cost of living and jobs opportunity, the bulky public service and the work performance of the service contractors. It is especially so for local authorities in Selangor, they will have to learn and relearn how to manage the solid waste and area cleansing after a lapse of 12 years of not doing so. It is an area so visible to the public and have an immediate impact on performance of the local authorities because you cannot hide the problem of cleanliness as what most people said you cannot sweep the rubbish under the carpet without others knowing about it.

For me, the budget is definitely a morale booster if not for career advancement but at least financially YES. I wish the new assessment scheme of SPBA replacing the SSM will right the previous wrong. Qualified servants will be notified and given the chance to serve. It is who you are that count rather than who you know or who you are with.