As much as 41 billion Saudi Riyals of the forthcoming state budget's surplus will be allocated for the welfare of citizens, Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, was quoted today as saying. In an exclusive interview with the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Crown Prince Abdullah also said the bulk of the surplus, levied from unexpected oil price hikes, will go to settling government's public debt. Speaking in more details, he said 30 billion Saudi Riyal of the surplus will be appropriated for expenditure on social and economic sectors over five years. Those sectors include water, sewage and flood discharge projects, speed highways and roads inside and outside cities and villages, primary health welfare programs, school building and rehabilitation, technical and technological education programs, and housing projects, the Crown Prince told SPA. Also out of the surplus, 3 billion Saudi Riyal will also be appropriated for soft loans to finance small and medium Saudi private businesses, he added. In conclusion, Crown Prince Abdullah advised all citizens to reward the generosity of their government through showing increasing interest and dedication in public work and availing themselves of the opportunities created by the Saudi economy. --More 2215 Local Time 1915 GMT
