SHAH ALAM, March 23 — The government will have to bear at least RM2 billion a month for blanket petrol subsidies if it continues to delay the implementation of targeted subsidies, says Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
He said as announced in the last Budget, the government needed to adhere to the scheduled restructuring of bulk subsidies to targeted subsidies this year.
Therefore, he said the government did not intend to extend the March 31 deadline for registration and updating of information on the Central Database Hub (Padu).
“It would be better if this RM2 billion (per month) was channeled in the form of assistance to (deserving) families,” he said during the Padu public dialogue session here today.
Also present were Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
Meanwhile, Rafizi said the government was also considering a proposal to implement the distribution of aid to the people via direct monthly cash transfers.
He said the reform of social aid distribution to the people, which had never been offered before, could be implemented through Padu and that the method was also expected to provide additional income to aid recipients. — Bernama
