By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Oct 13: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced the increase of excise duty on sugary drinks, which will rise by 10 cents, bringing it from 40 to 50 cents per litre.
He said the proceeds of the excise duties will be used to address and treat diabetes as well as support dialysis centres.
The unity government is also proposing to impose a five per cent excise duty on chewing tobacco products plus charges of RM27 per kilogramme, which is similar to snuff.
Meanwhile, Anwar said a total of RM300 million has been set aside to rehabilitate 400 dilapidated clinics with wooden structures and old wiring in Malaysia.
“A total of 766 million was also allocated for the procurement of medical equipment for KKM (Ministry of Health) hospitals to replace those that are Beyond Economic Repair (BER) in addition to meeting the needs of various new service disciplines.
“Another RM200 million is for procurement to ensure health services are ready to respond to emergency calls,” he said when tabling the Budget 2024 in Parliament today.
In terms of new health development, Anwar mentioned the federal government’s support for Sarawak’s intention to build the Sarawak Cancer Centre. — DayakDaily
