Pay up, PM tells government bodies

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants ministries, departments and agencies to not delay payment for services and goods provided.  

The Prime Minister ordered the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and the Implementation and Co-ordination Unit (ICU) to issue reminders to the ministries and departments to pay suppliers and vendors as soon as possible. 

“I want payments for goods and services provided to the Government to be settled expeditiously. Don’t wait any longer,” he told staff of the Prime Minister’s Department at their monthly gathering yesterday.  

“If the goods have already been supplied and services have been provided to us, then there is no reason to delay payment.  

MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER: Abdullah, with Najib on his right, addressing civil servants at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly gathering in Putrajaya yesterday.

“A contract is a form of promise and if the other party has carried out their part of the deal, then we should carry out ours, which is to pay them for their services.” 

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.  

He said delaying payment would not benefit the Government, as unpaid bills would pile up, making it difficult to settle later.  

“If we do not pay, a lot of people will suffer. Workers will not get paid and banks will not be paid for the loans issued,” he said.  

“This will cause anger and dissatisfaction against the Government. Therefore, I want to remind ministries, departments and agencies to expedite payment; and I want the central agencies to remind them of this.”