BUDI95: B40, M40 terima manfaat lebih besar, kata menteri

Kementerian Kewangan II Amir Hamzah Azizan has stated that the B40 and M40 socio-economic groups benefit more from the implementation of the BUDI95 initiative than the T20 group does. The minister explained that this is based on usage data which shows a pattern of subsidized gasoline purchases according to income group, allowing the government to assess the distribution of benefits from the initiative.

The minister said that now he has the full data, as every person using the subsidy uses a MyKad (My Identity Card) at a fuel station, and they have records of every purchase in the country. Therefore, the data shows that the distribution of the subsidy among B40, M40, and T20 is more beneficial to M40 and B40. The minister emphasized that this is different from the public perception that the T20 group uses more fuel, often because of owning larger cars with higher engine capacities, and the daily distance traveled is also a factor influencing fuel consumption, especially for the B40 group who live far from their workplaces.

The minister used an analogy. If he were from B40, he would work in Kuala Lumpur but live in Kenny Hills or Taman Duta, far from his workplace, resulting in higher fuel usage. He added that this clarification is important to correct the public's perception regarding the pattern of consumption and the distribution of benefits from the BUDI95 initiative, which has been implemented since September 30 last year.

As of now, 16 million Malaysians are benefiting from the initiative, which sets the price of RON95 gasoline at RM1.99 per liter, compared to RM2.05 per liter before, with each individual being eligible for up to 300 liters per month.