KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has allocated RM2.604 billion for its 2023 budget focusing on the needs and the well-being of the city's residents.
Mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah said RM1.96 billion or 75.3 per cent of the budget would be slated for DBKL's operating expenditure and the remaining RM643.7 million (24.7 per cent) would be for development purposes.
The budged is themed "Sustainable City, Prosperous Together" (Bandar Raya Mampan, Sejahtera Bersama).
The operating expenditure were divided into five main components - services and supplies at RM1.277 billion (65.2 per cent); salaries, wages and employee benefits (RM497.7 million or 25.4 per cent); handouts and fixed payments (RM99.2 million or 5.0 per cent); overtime payments (RM64.6 million or 3.3 per cent) and other expenditures (RM21.7 million or 1.1 per cent).
The allocation for development will consist of RM540.7 million or 84 per cent from DBKL, and the remainder of RM103 million or 16 per cent of the funds will come from the government and other sources.
Mahadi said the RM103 million allocation was to fund development projects under the 11th Malaysia Plan and the National Key Economic Area (NKEA) Greater Kuala Lumpur-Klang Valley programme.
However, he said DBKL was expected to generate RM2.082 billion in revenue this year, a 9.4 per cent decrease to that of 2022 at RM2.298 billion.
"Among the factors that will contribute to the decrease are the result of construction control and planning which is expected to decline from RM4353.5 million to RM209.2 million, a 48.3 per cent drop.
"However, DBKL's main revenue from assessment collection of RM1.370 billion (65.8 of total revenue) will see an increase of RM10 million (0.7 per cent) in 2023."
Mahadi said that despite a deficit of RM418.8 million (9.4 per cent) compared to that of the 2022 budget, this year's budget remained as a huge sum for the well-being of city dwellers.
In tackling climate change, DBKL allocated a "climate fund" to provide mitigation and adaption programmes.
"As a start, RM2 million will be allocated from the operating budget and RM5 million from the development budget.
"A sum of RM48 million will also be allocated for this year to achieve our carbon neutral target."
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