Saat said that the consolidated revenue account was utilised for operating expenditure and the federal government had to spend more than RM8 billion a month for emoluments and retirement benefits. — Reuters pic

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 25 — The Accountant General’s Department has confirmed Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s claim that the Federal Government was left with only RM450 million to spend from the Consolidated Revenue Account as at April 30, 2018 compared with RM11.86 billion as at December 31, 2017.

Accountant General Datuk Saat Esa said the Consolidated Revenue Account’s balance as at December 31, 2017 and April 30, 2018 announced by Lim tallied with the department’s records.

The department also affirmed that the balance is the only account the Federal Government could spend to finance its operating expenses, he said in a statement today.

He said the Federal Government has to spend more than RM8 billion a month for emoluments and retirement benefits.

Lim, in a statement issued on Sunday, called on former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to explain why the Consolidated Revenue Account, which stood at RM11.86 billion as at December 31, 2017 shrank by RM11.41 billion to RM450 million as at April 30, 2018.

He said the significant fall in the Consolidated Revenue Account was due to excessive spending for the four months from January to April this year, and alleged that this was to help Barisan Nasional win the 14th General Election on May 9. — Bernama