Missed opportunity for transport in Budget 2024

[superadmin]

Budget 2024 missed a beat, particularly from the viewpoint of transport.

Funnelling taxpayers’ money to support highway concession firms always sparks vital financial and economic debates.

In Budget 2024, the emphasis was on using funds in the public coffers to help finance an extension to the North-South Highway (PLUS) running from Sedenak to Simpang Renggam.

Budget allocation for private highway

The allocation channels nearly RM1 billion to UEM, a venture between Khazanah and EPF, to finance the construction of just one additional lane along the mentioned stretch.

That raises eyebrows. Why do road users still need to pay toll when public money is used to back a private highway?

• Missed alternatives: Every ringgit backing highway operators is a potential investment missed elsewhere in the area of transport. Perhaps the money could have been put to better use by investing in Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) rail systems or other forms of public transit.
  
• A double whammy for Malaysians: Citizens are essentially paying twice – first in the form of taxes to fund the expansion, and, on top of that, toll fees for use of the highway.
  

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