PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said there may be allocation reductions in the 2023 Budget which will be re-tabled on Feb 24.

However, he assured the slashes in funds would not affect programmes for the people.

Anwar said he had tabled the strategies and initial figures of the 2023 Budget to his cabinet members today.

“The country cannot survive on a high deficit, (therefore), we will try to reduce as much as we can.

“However, (I can assure) that the reduction will not affect our development programmes.

“I have also received some additional feedback from the cabinet members on this,” he said after chairing the cabinet meeting today.

Anwar, who is doubling as Finance Minister, is set to retable the 2023 Budget during the first session of the 15th Parliament.

During the Finance Ministry’s monthly gathering today, he said the 2023 Budget will take into account the current economic challenges while at the same time driving the country’s growth and attracting investments.

A Bloomberg report quoted Anwar as saying that the Malaysian government will work to gradually lower the nation’s debt and narrow the budget gap.

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