Abdul Karim: National Budget could focus on relieving people’s burden amidst pandemic

Karim (center), Fazzrudin (second right) and others pressing a ball to officiate the event. – Photo by Mohd Rais Sanusi.

KUCHING (Oct 31): Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah believes the National Budget which will be tabled this coming Friday will focus on relieving the people’s burden amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said that there is no need for ‘big big’ infrastructures at the moment as the people are under pressure from the pandemic.

“What the government needs to put effort in is to reduce the people’s burden and continue to progress and improve the economy of the country,” he said when met after the launching of Jelajah Belia at a hotel here today.

At the same time, Abdul Karim, who is also Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, hopes that the budget would also include the tourism industry as currently, there is a global fear of travelling.

He added that at the moment, people were not confident to travel overseas, and tourists were not confident to fly into the country, and if promotions are to be done overseas, it would not revive the industry.

However, he believes that with incentives, the domestic tourism, including the hotels, homestays, national parks, food industry and related transportation, could be revived bit by bit.

He said that if the Covid-19 pandemic does not worsen further, he projected that the tourism industry would improve by the second half of next year when people have confidence to travel.

“It will not accelerate very fast but this can be helped with support from the state and federal government incentives and planning when we table the budget during the state legislative assembly (DUN) sitting in November. The national budget will be announced first, and during the second half of the DUN sitting we will table the state budget, which is the Supply Bill.”

The National Budget 2021 is scheduled to be tabled in parliament next Friday, Nov 6.

Asked on youths affected by the pandemic who lost their jobs, Abdul Karim said that lost of jobs affects many and not just youths, and they have to be strong and improve self confidence and look into other opportunities. As times have changed with more things shifting online, like food delivery and shopping they can get opportunities there.

He added that youths were more IT savvy, and they can look into how to use those apparatus for new opportunities to earn a living.

“I believe the youths will also be included in the budget as they are very important in the nation’s development,” he said.

Present at the event were Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman and permanent secretary to the Youth and Sports Ministry Nancy Jolhi.

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