KOTA KINABALU: The issue of insufficient supply of subsidised diesel should not arise in Sabah if the quota and distribution are managed accordingly, says the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM).
Responding to fishermen's allegations that not enough subsidised diesel was allocated for them in Sandakan district, the LKIM said that based on the allocated quota, this problem should not exist.
“The federal government has set a 70 million litre diesel subsidy allocation every month for fishermen in zones A, B and C nationwide,” the LKIM stated in a statement dated Oct 7.
It said the allocated supply's purpose is to absorb part of the fuel costs needed by fishing vessels and not to cover the overall cost.
Therefore, the insufficient quota issue should not arise if diesel usage is implemented strictly according to the given quota, it stated.
The LKIM said they have also implemented various measures to prevent leakage in the allocation of this subsidy, including fixing a diesel sales and usage quota for every registered fishing vessel.
This is to make sure that only the eligible fishermen get to enjoy this benefit, it explained.
New diesel sales centres have been opened to make it more convenient for fishermen to get their diesel supply.
“New sales centres have been opened up in certain jetties. This will reduce the waiting time for fishermen to get their diesel supply,” the statement read.
“In Sabah, as there are no LKIM complexes, the sales of diesel are managed by the Sandakan Fishermen Association at private jetties,” it added.
As for short-term solutions, while waiting for diesel sales centres to operate fully, the LKIM has added a diesel quota to existing jetties to ensure adequate supply.
LKIM said it would continue monitoring the supply and use of subsidised diesel to ensure enough supply and prevent any leakages.
Earlier, it was reported that Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong had lodged a report with LKIM and the Fishermen’s Association to ensure there was no leakage or mismanagement in the diesel distribution process.
He had claimed that the current subsidy quota was insufficient, leaving fishermen unable to head out to sea while they wait for the next allocation.
