KUCHING, Feb 3: The implementation of the government’s Subsidised Diesel Control System 2.0 (SKDS 2.0) has not yet been realised in Sarawak and Sabah due to the high consumption of diesel in both States.
According to a news article from TV Sarawak (TVS), Bernama reported that Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said his ministry will hold discussions with both State’s governments, before its implementation as preparation to determine the target groups if the Federal government decides to expand it.
“The State governments and enforcement agencies need to be prepared to see which components or segments of the community can be proposed to be considered for the retargeting of diesel subsidy, if implemented in Sabah and Sarawak in the future.
“We are preparing in advance, if the government decides to expand (the programme) to Sabah and Sarawak, at least we can submit a proposal to the Federal government for any segment of society with high (diesel) consumption, we recommend (subsidy) with a certain mechanism,” it said.
He added that the ministry also needs the cooperation of all enforcement agencies to jointly streamline control and enforcement mechanisms, so that the illegal activities of diesel smuggling in Sabah and Sarawak can be curbed.
On Feb 1, Armizan announced the implementation of SKDS 2.0 for land transport as a pilot project, set to run for two months from that date.
The programme aims to provide a mechanism for retargeting diesel subsidies, with plans for implementation in Peninsular Malaysia in the second quarter of this year. — DayakDaily
