RM2.38 bln spent on subsidy to stabilise cooking oil price

The government spent RM2.38 billion on sudsidy from 2013 until April, this year to stabilise the price of cooking oil in the interest of the people.

Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, Datuk Hasan Arifin said the government's decision of getting the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) to take over the managing of cooking oil subsidy from the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry was apt.

"This is because cooking oil is a consumer product, which should come under the purview of KPDNKK.

"From this proceeding, the important thing is the question of enforcement by KPDNKK, the Royal Customs Department and other agencies to prevent leakage which could force the government to spend a bigger sum on the subsidy," he said in a statement, here, today.

The PAC today held a proceeding on Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme Management by the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, which was raised in the Auditor-General's Report 2015, Series 2, in the Dewan Rakyat on Nov 21.

The proceeding was attended by secretary-general of the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, Datuk M. Nagarajan; Malaysian Palm Oil Board director-general, Dr Ahmad Kushairi Din; and KPDNKK representative, Muez Abd Aziz. - BERNAMA