Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng rejected Bernama CEO Nurini Kassim’s claim that the government could not afford to pay salaries due to financial constraints as baseless. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
“I have ordered the Finance Ministry to start investigations to find out who should be responsible for this serious position and who halted payments for the EPF contributions so that action can be taken. “The ministry always prioritises the payment of salaries, including for EPF contributions. Emoluments and salaries will always be given sufficient allocation so that emoluments can be paid first, compared to other payments,” Lim said.
The minister noted recent news reports citing Bernama’s senior accounts and finance manager Syarifah Zaini Syed Zain claiming a delay in the news agency’s government grant for the third quarter of this year, ostensibly because the ministry has yet to approve the funds, resulting in hardship for staff who were defaulted for not paying their car loans on time.