PADU data ready for govt to implement targeted subsidies, waiting for right moment to proceed – Rafizi

Economy minister Rafizi Ramli has said the Pangkalan Data Utama (PADU) socio-economic database is ready for the government to implement at any time, Bernama reports. This will be used for programmes which include targeted subsidies, although it is up to the government to decide when this will happen as well as what mechanism will be used.

“The government is trying its best to avoid inflationary speculation, therefore it is best that we keep the sequencing close to our chest. The guessing game is to really manage the balance on how the market and society behave,” Rafizi told the media after the launch of the second season of the Innovathon television reality show yesterday.

Rafizi said that there were concerns that certain groups would take advantage of the situation by raising prices for profit should premature disclosure happen. He added the government felt it was best that everyone is provided with information about the data first, with implementation only proceeding at the right time and with an appropriate mechanism decided.

The government previously said it plans to introduce a targeted subsidy mechanism for RON 95 petrol in the second half of 2024. However, it has yet to announce the mechanism and how these subsidies will be dispensed.

PADU was launched by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on January 2, 2024 and serves to provide a provide a secure, comprehensive and near-real-time national primary database. This will enable more accurate data analytics to be produced as well as policy formulation and data-driven decision-making processes, in addition to enabling targeted policy implementation to balance the country’s fiscal position.

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