KUALA TERENGGANU, March 1 — The government needs at least six months to deal with the problem of diesel subsidy leakages in the country, said Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.
This will give reasonable time to identify the causes and mobilise the necessary assets to curb diesel smuggling activities which are among the causes of subsidy leakages.
He said the ministry has also established a Steering Committee and a Technical Committee to monitor the problem in a meeting this morning chaired by KPDN secretary-general Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof.
“Give us six months to monitor developments. We will work with several other ministries because the 2,100 enforcement staff under KPDN will not be able to do the job themselves.
“The six-month period should be sufficient because previously through Ops Naga we also took six months to make sure our waters are not invaded,” Salahuddin said after a consumer advocacy programme and presentation of school uniforms and schooling aid for Terengganu primary pupils here today.
In Budget 2023 that was presented on February 24, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who is also the Minister of Finance raised the issue of leakages in the implementation of diesel subsidies with almost RM10 billion worth of diesel subsidies misappropriated in 2022.
— Bernama
