YOURSAY | Float prices and stop meddling in businesses

YOURSAY | 'No need for rocket science to deal with subsidies.'

Govt mulling special ID to vet subsidised cooking oil buyers

FellowMalaysian: I think it is a little silly to go to the extent of having to issue special identification cards to stop those in the T20 income bracket from abusing the subsidy.

First, it makes no difference to the rich what price they pay for cooking oil, as household cooking oil consumption constitutes an insignificant portion of their daily consumption.

The fact is, the government will need to spend a hundred million to engage a private company to manufacture the chip-based card.

This money will not be recouped as it will be issued free to the recipients.

The government supplying 60,000 tonnes of cooking oil per year sounds too little.

I believe it is a fallacy to think that the rich are making indecent or inappropriate gains from this subsidy until the government is required to take control measures like introducing this subsidy identification card.

If the 10 million household database is kosher, then link it to all credit or debit card companies and qualified persons can be screened through the cards while making payments.

This way, no issuance of a separate physical identification card needs to be done and thus, saves RM100 million.

Vgeorgemy: If we are looking to build a family tree, MyKad is the perfect platform for us. Birth, marriage, and death registrations are mandatory with the National Registration Department.

We already have existing data on various welfare programmes, which the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry could access to create a family tree as a starting point.

Women in the family tree can access basic subsidies from anywhere using their MyKad.

For micro-traders, the ministry can rely on the data bank provided by local councils and small traders associations.

Unfortunately, the economic growth forecast for 2024 has been downgraded to the lowest rate seen in 50 years.

The World Bank has warned that East Asia's economies are set to expand at one of the slowest paces in five decades, due to US protectionism and rising levels of debt that pose an economic drag.

To save tax money for the next level of investment in the new economy, we have no choice but to reduce our debt levels.

We should take cues from Singapore's implementation of Singpass, a gateway to hundreds of e-services provided by over 60 government agencies.

There's much to be learned from their approach. The ministry needs to move fast.

A153: This has all the hallmarks of a bad idea.

Let’s say A is equal to the losses suffered due to T20 buying subsidised cooking oil and B is the capital expenditures (CapEx) and operational expenditure (Opex) of implementing this card system.

Does spending B justify preventing A? Where is the data?

Will spending B even be effective to prevent A? Or will it create a black market for selling these cards?

I suspect the losses due to T20 buying subsidised oil are minuscule but the costs of rolling out this system will be astronomical.

As usual, the system will be plagued with corruption and incompetence. It's like buying an expensive tractor to crush a fly, and the tractor will probably not work.

Mosquitobrain: Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh, cooking oil, with or without subsidy, just make a plain and simple announcement and for across the board.

No need for rocket science. No need for fancy and impractical special identification cards, making life difficult for everyone.

New motorcycles, cars or other vehicles, are levied with so many types of taxes (ranked amongst the highest in SE Asia), did anyone complain?

If yes, did the government take any initiative to waive all taxes to lessen the rakyat’s burden?

Do not take us, taxpayers for fools!

Kilimanjaro: This shows the government may have run out of ideas and now may be at wit's end to put the brakes on the rising subsidies bill.

If it is a concern that the "rich" are the targets against the subsidies, then why identification cards for the deserving?

What happens if a supposedly rich person today becomes a pauper tomorrow because of bankruptcy, for instance?

The government may have scrapped the bottom of the barrel to tax the rich and have to turn to scrapping the subsidies.

By the way, how many of us know or understand how the government gets to subsidise cooking oil and petrol?

We are the second-largest exporter of palm oil, which is now the main cooking oil for many.

So, what is this subsidy the government is talking about? Would the government care to explain in simple terms this subsidy thing for palm oil?

PurpleGopher1703: I have not personally come across anyone from the T20 income group queuing up at 99 Speedmart or Econsave to grab subsidised oil packets.

They go for premium cooking oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, pure palm oil and groundnut oil.

The T20 grabbing subsidised oil is an invention of the lazy politicians, trying to deflect the real problem which is stockpiling by some small food vendors and smuggling into Thailand.

The same goes for petrol. Most of those in the T20 bracket choose RON97 or higher whenever possible for their luxury cars.

The M40 group, on the other hand, is fast being pushed into a new category called B80.

Everyone here is struggling to make ends meet. Not everyone has an easy cushy politician job with a fat pension.

GreenCondor0329: The present administration loves to go around the roundabout to solve problems in compartments.

For once and for all, the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) must streamline and continuously update its database on people's income to correctly identify subjects for targeted living subsidies.

Cut the political gung-ho. Damn the politicians for giving out aid. Remove all subsidies. Float prices in the market and stop interfering with businesses.

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