Finance minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan says the proposal will be studied as part of ongoing improvements to the aid programme.
Amir said the matter would be discussed with the SARA implementation team to assess its suitability.
“God willing, in the future, we will announce the expansion to frozen goods that will be permitted under SARA,” he said when winding up the debate on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address for the finance ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
On the expansion of retail networks under the programme, Amir said the implementation had recorded positive performance, with the number of participating outlets increasing from 70 in 2024 to about 10,000 last year, including 3,000 small grocery shops.
He noted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement of the target to raise the number of participating grocery shops from 3,000 to 10,000 by the end of this year.
“This implementation will, in turn, enable more small traders and retailers to take part in the SARA scheme,” he said.
Amir said the utilisation rate of SARA has also been encouraging, with 99% of recipients reporting no issues with using the assistance, including concerns over the availability of participating outlets.
On targeted subsidies, he said the approach was being implemented carefully and in an orderly manner to ensure aid reached those who were entitled to it.
“In this context, the implementation of Budi Madani RON95 (BUDI95) is a clear example, whereby RON95 petrol subsidies are channelled in a more targeted manner to reduce leakages and ensure national funds are used for the people’s priorities,” he said.
In this regard, he said, the government disagreed with those who reject the use of MyKad in distributing social assistance and subsidies, as this method ensured that the assistance was received only by Malaysians. - FMT
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