Mobile app to combat cooking oil smuggling, subsidy leakages
He said this data will assist in forming government policy for cooking oil subsidy delivery.
"We didn't have exact data on cooking oil usage, but with eCOSS, we'll have purchase data," he said on Wednesday (July 23).
"From here, we can draft policy and target cooking oil subsidies to eligible recipients," he added during his ministerial replies in Dewan Rakyat.
This marked the first time the Auditor-General's Report was tabled for debate.
Armizan also mentioned a pilot project for the application began in Johor in May.
He said the mobile app would allow monitoring and enforcement against sales to foreigners.
'The application will be rolled out gradually to ensure system stability before full implementation.
'Through the Mobile eCOSS Application, retail purchase data will be recorded, enabling monitoring of retailer sales and consumer purchase data, including identities based on National Registration Department records.
'This strategy facilitates monitoring and enforcement against sales exceeding limits or to foreigners,' he added.
The latest Auditor-General's report revealed the current policy on subsidised cooking oil is not comprehensive, allowing non-targeted groups, including non-citizens, to benefit.
The report suggests the ministry improve its Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme (COSS) guidelines to address these issues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
20 minutes ago
- The Star
Household financial assets are double debt levels, Dewan Rakyat told
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's household financial assets remain robust, standing at 2.1 times more than total household debt, the Dewan Rakyat was told. This is despite debt levels reaching RM1.65 trillion, equivalent to 84.3% of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), as at the end of March, said Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying. She added that while household debt levels are significant, they must be assessed alongside the size of financial assets owned. 'Household debt must be viewed in tandem with financial assets, which are substantially larger. 'In aggregate, household financial assets continue to exceed debt by 2.1 times, providing a strong buffer for households,' she told Datuk Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang) who asked about Malaysia's high debt-to-GDP ratio. In a reply to Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas), Lim added that the government remains committed to optimising public expenditure. She said this will be achieved through subsidy rationalisation, a review of statutory bodies and a comprehensive reassessment of government spending as part of broader fiscal management efforts. Among the measures being pursued are the gradual implementation of fiscal consolidation, broadening the revenue base and ensuring sustainable revenue collection, she added. 'Government borrowings are strictly for financing development expenditure projects and programmes that generate long-term returns for the nation and its people,' she said. Lim pointed out that the government has capped financial guarantee exposure at 25% of GDP under the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act 2023 to ensure exposure remains within limits aligned with current economic and fiscal capacity. In addition, she said, the government is prioritising user-pay projects through the 2030 Public-Private Partnership Master Plan (Pikas 2030) to reduce the fiscal burden. She added that the government is also reviewing the use of off-budget mechanisms for project implementation and will only consider development projects that fall within the scope and ceiling of the country's five-year Malaysia Plans. Lim also highlighted that key national strategies – including the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), the Governance, Empowerment and Accountability Reform-Up (GEAR-uP) programme and policy enhancements such as minimum wage adjustments – are expected to stimulate economic activity, strengthen government revenue and reduce reliance on borrowing. 'The government is also committed to implementing institutional reforms to support national development, including the tabling of the Government Procurement Bill aimed at improving procurement processes and governance,' she said. This includes drafting legislation related to government-linked companies (GLCs) to enhance corporate governance, improve accountability and optimise GLC performance, she added.
New Straits Times
20 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Elderly care gets boost with new law, digital awareness to fight scams
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is strengthening efforts to empower and protect senior citizens through support services, digital literacy initiatives, and legislation, said Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad. The Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister said one of the ministry's current focus areas was to ensure that older persons could live independently and with dignity, particularly in light of rising cases of online scams targeting vulnerable groups. "The ministry is taking several important steps to strengthen protection for senior citizens, particularly in terms of neglect and abuse. "For this reason, we are in the process of drafting the Senior Citizens Bill, which aims primarily to protect the fundamental rights and welfare of this group. "We are also currently reviewing the National Senior Citizens Action Plan, with one of the main focuses being issues such as scams and fraud. "The goal is to create a generation of independent, respected senior citizens who receive support from the community," she said during Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today. She was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PH-Bandar Tun Razak), who queried the ministry's efforts to introduce more comprehensive laws to protect senior citizens against neglect and abuse by family members and also scams. Noraini said the ministry would implement awareness programmes and digital literacy courses to help prevent them from becoming victims of cybercrime. "This is part of our efforts to improve the system because, ultimately, we must ensure that the implementation of every policy truly reaches the grassroots, and this requires the cooperation of all parties," she said. She said the ministry, through the Social Welfare Department, also provides Home Help Services, which offers social support to elderly individuals who live alone. "These Social Welfare Department volunteers visit the elderly regularly and offer companionship, help prepare meals and drinks, and assist with household chores. "The objective is to enable seniors to age in place within their communities. If that is no longer possible, then we look to community-based care, and only then to institutional care," she said. She said they also have the Unit Penyayang Warga Emas initiative as a complementary service to Home Help, which provides transportation for elderly individuals to attend medical appointments at hospitals or public health clinics.
The Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Sun
JENDELA Phase 2 starts September with hybrid telecom approach
KUALA LUMPUR: The second phase of Malaysia's National Digital Network (JENDELA) will start in September, adopting a hybrid approach to speed up nationwide connectivity, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced. Nearly 3,000 sites will be upgraded under Phase 2, moving away from traditional tower construction. 'We are considering hybrid solutions, like 30-metre monopoles, instead of full-sized towers where feasible. This will accelerate deployment,' Fahmi said during a Dewan Rakyat session. The minister was responding to Julau MP Datuk Larry Sng, who raised concerns over poor 4G and 5G coverage in rural schools. Fahmi confirmed that 4G coverage in Julau's populated areas has reached 58.28 per cent, with 43 new telecom towers and 44 upgraded transmitter stations completed as of June 30. Fibre-optic access has also been extended to 1,391 premises. However, 5G rollout in Julau is still under review, with priority given to urban and industrial zones. 'Rural areas, including Julau, will receive 5G in stages based on infrastructure readiness,' he added. Sarawak's SMART 600 initiative is complementing federal efforts, with 29 new towers already operational and 15 under construction. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has partnered with Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) to boost connectivity in the state. Additionally, 12 Point of Presence (PoP) broadband hubs in Julau now offer high-speed internet, with 1,225 subscription ports supporting speeds up to 1Gbps. – Bernama
