PUTRAJAYA: Counting out the days to 2020, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) is ready for the implementation of the Petrol Subsidy Programme (PSP).
PSP is the principle of aid which the government wants to deliver via the redistribution of subsidy and will target the truly needy group and is one of the initiatives to lighten the burden of low income households.
KPDNHEP secretary general Datuk Muez Abd Aziz said the implementation of PSP, in line with the Pakatan Harapan manifesto, namely, providing a targeted petrol subsidy, with the noble objective of ensuring truly qualified Malaysians would receive the aid.
Previously, the subsidy was implemented via the blanket method, whereby, unqualified parties including those with luxury cars, the rich and foreign nationals have access to the assistance, he told Bernama in an interview.
On the selection of the recipients, Muez said PSP for the B40 group used the basic data from the Cost of Living Allowance (BSH) to identify the low income group which were matched with the vehicle ownership data from the Road Transport Department (RTD).
He said, through the drafting of the policy based on a data driven approach, the ministry had succeeded in identifying 2,862,472 individuals who met the qualifying conditions of PSP.
Up to the closing of the appeal period on Nov 30, a total 346,491 qualified recipients had updated their personal details, he said.
The ministry too, he said, had received 480,317 appeals, whereby the review on the status of the appeals could be made early next year before the first payment is made in April 2020.
He said his ministry expected some from the B40 group to be left out from the list of PSP recipients as they were not in the BSH list.
‘’For this purpose, KPDNHEP have informed those who have not received BSH prior to this to send an application the BSH secretariat. Briefings and explanations have been given at state level to inform the public on the need for B40 to register for BSH so that they will also be able to enjoy the subsidy under PSP,’’ he said.
What is the amount of subsidy to be received by the beneficiary?
A PSP recipient who owns a car will receive a subsidy of RM30 a month while a motorcycle owner will receive RM12 a month, limited to one of the higher rates. How will the payment be made?
The payment will be credited into the bank account of the PSP recipient every four months making the cash aid received is RM120 for a car owner and RM48 for a motorcycle owner for every payment.What is the criteria for a PSP recipient?
A PSP recipient is a BSH beneficiary with a peninsula Malaysia address and has a registered vehicle and a valid licence.The engine capacity fixed for car is 1,600 cc and below and 150 cc for motorcycle. Those with car over 10 years old or motorcycles over seven years old, but with engine capacities exceeding the stipulated criteria, still qualified to receive PSP.On expanding PSP to the M40 group, Muez said KPDNHEP held engagement sessions with government agencies such as the Ministry of Finance, Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia and Department of Statistics Malaysia to identify and detail down the criteria and needs for its implementation. — Bernama
