The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim assured that the electricity tariff increase will not affect small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as it is only targeted at the rich and multinational companies.
Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting today, he said that detailed information about the increase will be announced by the Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
“This (electricity) subsidy will not be given to giant multinational conglomerates but (only) to SMEs, agricultural and food production companies and the general public. They will not be affected by the increase.”
“It will also be done in stages and reasonably, so we do not interfere with production and business planning. All information will be announced by the relevant minister,” he said.
Anwar said that the government has been burdened with electricity subsidies amounting to RM30 billion every year, but the majority of the beneficiaries are giant and wealthy conglomerates.
Accordingly, the increase in electricity tariffs will be done in stages by Putrajaya, specifically for the groups involved, starting with multinational companies involved in the export industry of products abroad.
He added that the National Livelihood Action Council (NACCOL) has submitted a report and recommendations regarding the issue of the increase in the cost of living that surrounds the people, post-Covid-19.
Based on the report, Anwar instructed the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) to address the issue of imbalance in the agricultural market sector.
“I have instructed FAMA to give a full report to overcome this problem.”
“For example, last year, there was a big problem for farmers in Cameron Highlands who had to dispose of their products due to the lack of buyers and transport (to pick up and deliver orders),” he said, referring to the implementation period of the Movement Control Order (MCO) one once upon a time.
