{
  "id": 3405501,
  "title": "Ascertain usage before raising subsidy quota, says economist",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/ascertain-usage-before-raising-subsidy-quota-says-economist",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-26T02:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/08/26/ascertain-usage-before-raising-subsidy-quota-says-economist"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Economist Tan Peck Leong has advised the government to carefully consider which users genuinely require more fuel before implementing a blanket diesel subsidy quota of 500 litres in rural Sabah and Sarawak. The data-driven approach would help avoid undermining BUDI Diesel's efforts to reduce leakages and cross-border smuggling. Currently, about 71,000 of the 120,000 eligible pickup and jeep owners in Sabah have not submitted applications for the 100-litre increase, which would raise their monthly entitlement to 300 litres. Economists argue that actual consumption data is already available to help decide on the quantum of the subsidy.",
  "summary": "Tan Peck Leong says wider take-up of the existing 300-litre entitlement will give Putrajaya a clearer picture of actual demand.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Ascertain usage before raising subsidy quota, says economist",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/ascertain-usage-before-raising-subsidy-quota-says-economist-3411325",
        "published": "2026-08-26T02:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}