The Finance Ministry has asked other ministries to cut their discretionary spending by ten percent in compiling budget plans for next year. 

The ministry on Wednesday notified each ministry of the request and other guidelines for compiling the 2021 budget. 

The ministry explained that it made the request in light of expected drops in tax revenue due to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising fiscal demand to ride out the crisis and boost the economy.  

It added that the government will push for drastic restructuring of spending plans to secure as many funds as possible for investment.

To that end, the finance ministry plans to slash each ministry's discretionary spending by around ten percent, which accounts for about half of the government's total budget. It will also seek reforms of regulations on mandatory spending.