PACKET COOKING OIL SUBSIDY STAYS; TALKS FOCUS ON REDUCING LEAKAGE - RAFIZI

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- There are no new proposals regarding the removal of subsidy for packet cooking oil presented to the Cabinet, clarified Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.

Rafizi said his earlier statement was about the government’s ongoing effort to reduce leakage rather than abolishing subsidies.

He said the implementation of government programmes is regularly reviewed by the relevant ministries to minimise leakage, with the final decision to be made by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN).

“I was asked a general question; what are we going to do about the leakage in packet cooking oil (subsidy)? My answer was, every programme with leakage issues undergoes evaluation and discussions. That’s what I said, but it was reported as if the government was planning to abolish packet cooking oil subsidy.

“If everything is turned into an issue, a controversy, the government might end up saying nothing at all. Our role is to reform many things, and I urge the media to allow us the space to go through that process,” he told reporters after launching the second season of the Innovathon programme, here.

Earlier, Rafizi was reported as saying that discussions on abolishing packet cooking oil subsidies to address the problems of leakages had been put in place.

The government, he said, is reviewing the best way to subsidise cooking oil without involving huge leakages.

Meanwhile, 56 participants have been selected to compete in the second season of Innovathon, which will be aired over eight episodes starting Nov 30.

Contestants with the best ideas from each episode will advance to the final, competing for a business development support fund with a cumulative value of up to RM1 million.

Apart from receiving guidance, participants will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas in “The 100 Pitch,” to 100 potential users from various demographic backgrounds.

-- BERNAMA