THE Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) will be focusing on seven core priorities to be implemented under its 2022 Budget.
MBSP mayor Datuk Rozali Mohamud said the budget, themed ‘Digital and Low Carbon City’ (Bandaraya Digital Dan Rendah Karbon), is meant to realise the people’s hopes of turning Seberang Perai into a smart and low carbon city through the circular economy and towards the digital economy.
“The first core is the development of the circular economy through cleanliness and greenery. It gets the highest allocation of RM118.75 million.
“Subsequent core priorities are low carbon programme (RM37.23mil), sustainable community (RM20.01mil), mobility and connectivity (RM18.49mil).
“Other core priorities are the digital economy (RM18.27mil), flood management (RM14.69mil) and human capital development (RM11.84mil),” Rozali said after chairing a full council meeting where he presented the Budget 2022 at the MBSP headquarters building in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam today.
The budget session also was broadcast live through MBSP Facebook page.
Rozali said MBSP’s projected expenses for 2022 are RM345.35 million against an estimated revenue of RM310.13mil, which could result in a deficit budget of RM35.22 million for next year.
He added that the deficit budget underlines a huge responsibility that MBSP has to carry out for the Seberang Perai community and development on the mainland.
“However, we remain committed to controlling the deficit through prudent financial management.
“This includes ensuring value for expenditure with the principles of doing more with less, work process automation and efficient financial management without compromising performance, productivity and quality of service delivery,” he added.
According to Rozali, MBSP has allocated RM1.5 million for maintenance of public markets and food complexes, electricity bills (RM3.09mil), water bills (RM1.28mil) and Indah Water Konsortium bills (RM200,000).
He also said RM3 million had been allocated to supply, fix, construct and maintain grease traps at public markets and food complexes.
“MBSP also has allocated RM2.23 million to change 14,061 units of street lights into LED lighting that will reduce 60% of electricity consumption. And another RM1.8 million allocation is for maintenance cost of all the street lights under the city council.
“We also will allocate RM1.5 million allocation to upgrade several public recreational areas such as at Taman Sembilang in Seberang Jaya, Taman Tecoma (Bandar Perda) and Taman Bertam Putra in Kepala Batas.
“Other allocations include tipping fees for waste disposal at Pulau Burong (RM13.5mil), billboards installation works (RM330,000), upgrading project of Bertam Sports Complex and Taman Tema in Jalan Betek (RM430,000), outdoor gyms installation at various locations (RM600,000), landscaping works (RM1.35mil), and ex-gratia payment to MBSP employees involved in accidents while on duty (RM220,000).
For more details and a full list of the budget, the public can go to MBSP official website at https://www.mbsp.gov.my/
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix courtesy of Seberang Perai City Council