KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 – Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli cautioned that the government could incur a hefty RM2 billion monthly expense in blanket petrol subsidies if the implementation of targeted subsidies continues to face delays. Rafizi emphasized the necessity of adhering to the scheduled restructuring of bulk subsidies to targeted subsidies, as outlined in the previous Budget. Consequently, he stressed that the government does not plan to extend the March 31 deadline for registration and information updates on the Central Database Hub (Padu).
During a public dialogue session on Padu in Shah Alam, Rafizi highlighted the potential benefits of redirecting the RM2 billion monthly expenditure towards assisting deserving families. The session also saw the presence of Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu. Rafizi additionally disclosed the government’s contemplation of implementing direct monthly cash transfers as a method of distributing aid to the people, leveraging Padu for efficient implementation and potentially providing additional income to aid recipients.
