Be prudent, spending financial aid for the needy - Masidi

23 March 2023

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun urged State Legislative Assembly members and Community Development Leader Units (UPPMs) to be prudent and accountable in using the Bantuan Orang Susah (BOS) funds, which are meant to help the needy.

He said they should not only distribute the funds to the deserving recipients, but also submit their expenditure reports regularly to enable the State Government to monitor the impact and coverage of the aid.

“The reports are vital for the relevant departments to track the effectiveness and reach of the aid as well as for the Finance Ministry to maintain Sabah’s five-star financial rating, which is among the best in the country.

“The reports are not intended to burden the YBs or PPMs, but they are part of the Government’s measures to ensure that the funds reach their intended beneficiaries,” he said at a briefing by the Sabah Welfare Services Department with the UPPM here yesterday.

Masidi said that each of the 73 State Legislative Assembly members received an allocation of RM100,000 for BOS, which should be spent and reported consistently throughout the year, rather than at year-end.

“I hope that all PPMs will do their part in distributing BOS fairly to people who truly need assistance,” he added.

Masidi also reminded PPMs to ensure that equipment loaned to patients under the Homeward Programme by the Welfare Services Department are well-maintained so that more people can benefit from them in future.

“It is our hope that once patients recover, they can return equipment such as hi-lo beds, ripple mattresses, wheelchairs, oxygen concentrators, ward partitions, commode chair and other equipment required by patients who are warded at home,” he said.