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Wednesday 9 June 2010

REMOVING SUBSIDIES


1. Since the report that Datuk Seri Idris Jala had announced that the country faces the possibility of going bankrupt if the Government continues with the high subsidies to various items, there has been much concern and debate.

2. The Malaysian Insider claims that UMNO has a distaste for subsidy cuts because it has rebuked Idris. I suppose the Insider and the opposition are all against subsidy cuts even if they lead to Malaysia going bankrupt.

3. Everybody must have read about the fate of Greece whose borrowings exceeded its GDP. The European Union has had to bail out Greece to the tune of 300 billion Euro to prevent it from going bankrupt and pulling down the European Union with it. Already the Euro has depreciated substantially and many are predicting the demise of this European common currency. The European economy, once powerful and rich, faces the possibility of a recession, simply because of the bankruptcy of one of its members.

4. Idris has not predicted bankruptcy today or next year or any time soon. He says if the debt goes up by 12 per cent per annum we would be bankrupt by 2019 when our debt would be equal to our GDP. Do we want to let the country slide into banruptcy?

5. What Idris is saying is that if we continue with the present level of subsidy (already reaching RM74 billion per annum) and we cannot pay our debts, we will certainly not be able to arrest the slide.

6. To pay our debts we must cut back on spending, A big item is the subsidies for food, fuel and power, health, education and tolls.

7. I believe he will not cut subsidy, or at least not much, on food, health and education. But the subsidies for fuel and power and toll payments should be gradually reduced.

8. When I was Prime Minister the price for one barrel of oil was only US$30. The subsidy was not too big. It is now US$80. To keep the same price would mean to increase the amount of subsidy to make up the difference. Similarly when the Government agrees not to increase toll rates it has to reimburse the losses sustained by the operators. This cost a lot of money.

9. Borrowing money to pay for the increasing cost of subsidy is not the answer. A good Government must ensure that servicing loans is sustainable.

10. The Insider and the Opposition must know all these. If they are against cuts in the subsidies it must be because they want the country to go bankrupt so that the Government party would be defeated. You may defeat the Government but if you inherit a bankrupt country, you will not be able to turn around the country either.

8 comments:

kiss me said...

So do not rely on the subsidies.. let the government do as planned to reduce the deficit and strengthen our economy.

Carls said...

It makes sense to me :)

jack said...

everyone should know and understand why the govt should cut off subsidies...not that our country will bankrupt but to prevent it from happen..its the basic in economy..to make money, we must reduce our spending...hopefully there's no one make this as a political tools..should face the facts and don't lie to yourself...

pagardawai said...

saya setuju dengan cadangan mengurangkan subsidi pada diesel dan petrol, pendidikan - terhad kepada univrsity ranking top 20, dan pinjam wang dari IMF bukan jawapan kepada masalah defisit belanjawan di Malaysia. sekurang-kurangnya greece dapat dibantu oleh negara-negara EU - EURO. Malaysia siapa nak bantu jika bankrup?

sembilang said...

rakyat golongan berpendapatan rendah adalah yang paling tertekan dengan masalah pengurangan / pemansuhan subsidi. betul kata Tun M jika subsidi hanya kepada beberapa benda yang patut seperti minyak petrol dan diesel etc. sahaja. kewangan negara harus dipastikan sentiasa mantap dan pinjam bukanlah cara yang sustainable dan bijak!

kucingbatu said...

langkah berjimat cermat adalah amat wajar dan bijak. pengurangan subsidi adalah jalan terbaik. namun pembangunan bangunan parlimen rm800 juta amat bercanggah dengan langkah kerajaan berjimat cermat!

Paquin said...

Saya terima seadanya keputusan kerajaan asalkan ia adalah pilihan yg terbaik kerana saya yakin even subsidi kena cut, kerajaan tetap akan jaga kebajikan rakyat ba:P

aku bah said...

Betul kiss me. Lebih baik kita biarkan ja kerajaan ikut apa yang telah dirancang. Sebagai rakyat kita patut sokong segala bentuk usaha kerajaan utk memastikan negara tak mengalami defisit nanti :)