KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2: Some 13.1 million Malaysians have bought cheaper fuel under the BUDI MADANI RON95 (BUDI95) programme, with a total spend of RM2.66 billion between Sept 30 and Nov 1.
The Ministry of Finance (MoF) said they bought 1.33 billion litres of subsidised RON95 petrol, with a total government subsidy or savings of about RM800 million.
“This includes over 23,000 fishermen and registered boat users who do not have an active driving licence, especially in Sabah and Sarawak,” it said in a statement.
Under BUDI95, 16.55 million Malaysians are eligible to enjoy the RON95 subsidised price at RM1.99 per litre compared to RM2.60 per litre without subsidy. The original projection was 15 million Malaysians.
All Malaysian MyKad holders aged 16 and above who possess active driving licences are eligible to purchase up to 300 litres of subsidised RON95 petrol per month.
Since Oct 13, the MADANI Government has also raised the monthly ceiling for full-time e-hailing drivers to 600 litres, benefiting nearly 58,000 drivers nationwide.
“On average, BUDI95 recipients under the private category recorded a usage of 98.2 litres per month for October, way lower than the stipulated minimum monthly eligibility of 300 litres.
“As of Oct 26, less than 0.7 per cent of BUDI95 recipients have fully utilised their monthly eligibility before the end of the month,” it added.
The MoF disclosed that only 0.6 per cent of private users had fully used the monthly limit of 300 litres, while among registered boat users without a driving licence, only 0.3 per cent had reached the full monthly limit.
–BERNAMA