Economy minister Rafizi Ramli insists the government is determined to implement targeted subsidies by the end of the year.
SHAH ALAM: The government will not extend the March 31 deadline to register for the central database hub (Padu) as it will affect plans to implement targeted subsidies by the end of the year, says economy minister Rafizi Ramli.
“We need to follow the timeline to implement targeted subsidies. If I had more time, I’d have extended (the deadline),” said Rafizi at a town hall event here to discuss the low Padu registration rate.
“However, any extension now will further delay the timeline we’ve set,” he said, adding that the government is shouldering around RM2 billion in diesel subsidies every month.
He was responding to a question from one of the attendees about whether the government would extend the deadline after March 31.
Yesterday, a Perak state executive councillor said he hoped that Padu’s registration deadline would be extended to ensure that all 1.8 million residents in the state would sign up.
In a Bernama report, Azlan Helmi, who handles the communications, multimedia and NGO portfolio, said almost 50% of people in Perak have yet to register on Padu, most of whom are in rural areas.
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