Reduced allocation will not affect ministry's programmes: Wan Junaidi

KUCHING: The reduced allocation announced in the 2017 Budget yesterday compared to the previous years will not drastically affect the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) in executing its programmes.

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the ministry could still execute all the programmes including the ones in Sarawak and the Heart of Borneo (HoB).

He said the ministry understood the government's ability at this point but believed its future application to realise the NRE agenda would be considered.

"Even though the NRE agenda was not mentioned in details, I am satisfied with the overall 2017 Budget tabled yesterday," he told reporters after the launch of the National Environmental Day 2016 here today.

The ceremony was officiated by Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem.
"In the budget speech the details of NRE Agenda were not disclosed but the Prime Minister did mention about the care of the forest whereby the federal government and the state government must work together, especially on nature reserves and permanent forest reserve which are very important to environmental care," he added. — Bernama