RM8bil for subsidies

For the people: The government will continue to subsidise cooking oil to help reduce the impact of rising commodity prices globally on the cost of living.

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is expected to provide up to RM8bil in fuel and cooking oil subsidies, RM4.22bil higher than the RM3.78bil initially allocated for this year.

In comparison, a total of RM6.32bil was spent on fuel and cooking oil subsidies in 2019 and RM2.16bil last year.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the higher allocation this year was due to the increase in global market prices.

Following the increase in commodity prices globally, government subsidies for RON95 petroleum products, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as well as subsidised cooking oil are expected to increase sharply.

“The government is prepared to bear the higher subsidy expenditure to preserve the well-being of the people and the viability of business, especially small traders,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement yesterday.

Tengku Zafrul said the government would continue to help the people through various measures, including continuing to subsidise fuel and cooking oil to help reduce the impact of rising commodity prices globally on the cost of living.

He said the government would continue with the price maintenance policy of RM2.05 per litre for RON95 petrol and RM2.15 per litre for diesel, which has been maintained since Feb 10.

Meanwhile, the price of LPG was maintained at RM1.90 per kg since June 2015 and subsidised cooking oil was worth RM2.50 per one kg pack since 1997, he said.

He added that various Budget 2021 measures and improved initiatives through Permai, Pemerkasa and Pemerkasa Plus would continue to be channelled at least until December. — Bernama