Subsidi, oh Subsidi

Aku berpendapat kerajaan patut tarik subsidi kepada IPP dahulu sebelum tarik subsidi-subsidi lain seperti subsidi gula, petrol dan tepung.

Betulkah suara-suara yang mengatakan IPP mendapat subsidi kurang lebih RM19 bilion? Banyakkah tu. Persoalannya, layakkah mereka diberi subsidi memandangkan mereka membuat untung besar setiap tahun?

Kerajaan perlu laksanakan apa yang betul dengan cepat.

Diterbitkan artikel daripada The Malaysian Insider untuk bacaan semua.


IPP subsidies under review
By Lee Wei Lian
May 19, 2011

Najib was asked to slash subsidies to IPPs before honing in on consumer subsidies. — file picKUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — The controversial gas subsidies for independent power producers (IPPs) are under review but no decision has been made yet, said Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah today.
“We have done a discussion and study under the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, EPU (Economic Planning Unit) and myself,” Husni told reporters at the sidelines of the 15th Malaysia Banking Summit today when asked if the subsidies will be relooked at. “We have to wait for the decision.”
The issue of gas subsidies is also a controversial one as the prime beneficiaries are seen to be the IPPs, many of which are highly profitable and perceived to be controlled by politically-favoured parties.
DAP recently urged the Najib administration to first cut billion-ringgit subsidies for IPPs rather than burden the people with subsidy cuts on essential items
“Remove the big opium of gas subsidies that can save tens of billions of ringgit annually before dealing with the opiate for the masses that only save hundreds of millions of ringgit,” said DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng in a statement recently.
“Why should the masses and the ordinary 27 million Malaysians be made to bear these price rises when the few big corporate giants in the IPPs do not suffer a single cent in gas subsidies cuts?”
DAP publicity chief Tony Pua added that the government must take action against “fat crony companies” like IPPs if it wished to reduce subsidy burden, as last year’s five-in-one subsidy cut would only save RM750 million while a 20 per cent cut in subsidies to IPPs would save RM3.6 billion.
The Petaling Jaya MP said while there was no doubt that the cost would be passed on to consumers, unfair contracts signed between the government the IPPs meant that electricity tariffs should be at least 26 per cent cheaper based on comparison to international rates
He said that based on Petronas annual reports, gas subsidies granted to IPPs amounted to RM8.1 billion in 2008.