Malaysia has almost 50 billion ringgit ($13 billion) for infrastructure and other development until 2005 and its finances are "comfortable", a government official was quoted as saying on Saturday.
The fast-growing Southeast Asian nation, which has a penchant for big-ticket projects, approved 160 billion ringgit for development between 2001-2005 and has spent almost 70 percent of it, Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop said.
"The government still has 49.4 billion ringgit for 2004 and 2005," The Star newspaper quoted Yakcop as saying in a statement issued to local media on Friday.
State news agency Bernama said Yakcop was encouraged by the 7.6 percent economic growth in the first quarter and expected the 2004 budget deficit to be much lower than the 5.3 percent of gross domestic product seen in 2003.
"This proves that the government's financial position is at a comfortable level," Bernama quoted him as saying.
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