Targeted Subsidy For diesel Will Begin Next Year – KPDN

Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahuddin Ayub stated that targeted diesel subsidies will be implemented next year. He mentioned that the National Economic Action Council agreed in a meeting yesterday to create an integrated database to ensure the effectiveness of the initiative's implementation, adding that the discussion included the domestic trade ministry, the finance ministry, the transport ministry, and the investment, trade, and industry ministry. "All agencies and ministries already have their own databases; we just need to coordinate and ensure they are accurate and effective when targeted diesel subsidies are implemented," he said.

In February, Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan was quoted as saying that if the T20 income group did not receive subsidies for petrol, diesel and liquid petroleum petrol, the government could save up to RM17 billion.

When asked about the implementation of unsubsidized petrol stations in Kelantan following the pilot project in Perlis' Padang Besar and Wang Kelian, Salahuddin said the programme was aimed at reducing diesel and petrol leakage and smuggling at the country's borders.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stated that the trade ministry was nearing completion of the implementation of unsubsidized petrol stations in several other states, adding that the project under the border economy programme could save the government's oil subsidy allocation while also providing more revenue to the country through sales tax imposed on foreign vehicles.

Source: Malaysianow