PARLIAMENT There is confusion over the levy Putrajaya collected from foreign workers after the Home Ministry gave two starkly different figures in a matter of days.

According to a parliamentary written reply to Bukit Mertajam MP Sim Chee Keong dated March 21, the Home Ministry said it collected RM254.6 million in levy on foreign workers last year.

However, in another written reply to Kota Raja MP Siti Mariah Mahmud dated March 17, the Home Ministry said the total levy it collected last year was RM2.254 billion.

The discrepancy in both replies were similarly reflected for previous years from 2011.

According to the latest written reply, the government said the levy it collected was RM734.2 million for 2014, RM446.2 million for 2013, RM799.0 million for 2012 and RM348.7 million for 2011.

However, the written reply just four days ago said the government collected a levy of RM2.638 billion in 2014, RM2.423 billion in 2013, RM2.618 billion in 2012 and RM1.808 billion in 2011.

The March 21 written reply also said the levy collected in 2010 was RM461.4 million. No figure was provided for 2010 in the earlier written reply.

According to the latest written reply, the levy for a single foreign worker in the service sector is at RM1,850 followed by RM1,250 for the manufacturing and construction centre and RM590 for the plantation sector.

As for the agriculture and domestic helper sector, the levy is RM410.