LABUAN: The government is open to expanding the newly introduced Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) initiative to benefit small-time passenger boat operators, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.
Finance Minister II Datuk Amir Hamzah Azizan said the government had no issue with extending the scheme to those involved in passenger boat operations, as they played a vital role in serving local communities, especially in rural and island areas.
"The government is willing to work with the Sabah and Sarawak state governments on this matter as passenger boat operators are also among the groups heavily reliant on subsidised fuel to sustain their operations and livelihood,” he told reporters after visiting the Petronas petrol station in Jalan Pohon Batu here on Sunday (Sept 28).
Amir Hamzah, who is on a two-day working visit to Labuan, said discussions with the relevant state authorities would help identify eligible operators and ensure the scheme is implemented fairly and efficiently without abuse.
"Budi95 was designed to directly channel subsidies to those who truly need them, and expanding the programme to small passenger boat operators would further strengthen the objective of targeted assistance,” he said.
Amir Hamzah added that the initiative, which recorded RM3.7mil worth of RON95 purchases in just one day since its rollout, has already shown encouraging response from eligible groups such as members of the armed forces, police, and Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients. – Bernama
