KUCHING: Sarawak State Legislative Assembly today passed the Supplementary Supply (2021) Bill 2022 for an additional expenditure of RM478,843,946 in 2021.

The bill was tabled by Deputy Chief Minister and Second Minister for Finance and New Economy Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and passed after the third reading without debate.

Uggah said the extra expenditure is to meet the cost of various services incurred by various ministries and department for which funds were not provided for or insufficiently provided for the 2021 estimation.

Among the ministries and departments involved are the Chief Minister's Department, Ministry of Utilities, Ministry of Transport, Rural Water Supply Department, Public Works Department and Local Authorities.

Apart from that, the bill also sought for the approval for a First Supplementary Estimates of Development Expenditure for additional allocation of RM81,608,762.

Earlier, the house also witnessed the swearing in of Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting who was not able to attend the ceremony last Monday as he was under quarantine.

-- BERNAMA