The Election Commission (EC) has been told to find a way to enable East Malaysians studying, working or residing in Peninsular Malaysia to vote.
There are many Sarawakians and Sabahans who are ‘stranded’ in the peninsula on May 5. They will not be able to vote because they could not afford to return home.
Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) leader Francis Paul Siah felt that it was the EC’s responsibility to devise a mechanism to resolve this long-standing issue.
“EC and many other groups have been encouraging Malaysian citizens to register as voters. What is the point of being a registered voter when you have no opportunity to vote?” he told a press conference in Sibu today.There are many Sarawakians and Sabahans who are ‘stranded’ in the peninsula on May 5. They will not be able to vote because they could not afford to return home.
Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) leader Francis Paul Siah felt that it was the EC’s responsibility to devise a mechanism to resolve this long-standing issue.
Since MoCS launched its ‘Bring home a voter’ programme on March 28, it has received overwhelming response.
“To be honest, it was more than we could handle. By April 11, we have received a total of 670 applications for airfare sponsorship from voters and we were forced to close application that day. But they keep coming and up till today, there are more than 900.” Siah revealed.
The MoCS leaders said that his movement has to disappoint many applicants because of its limited resources.
“We are now seeking the help of political parties to sponsor the air tickets of these voters. Most of them are students, young working adults and pensioners. The students are mainly first-time voters,” Siah said.
“Civil society groups like MoCS can only do as much. Ultimately, it falls on the EC to find a way to enable these voters from Sabah and Sarawak who number in the thousands to vote.
“Geographically, there is enough reason for the EC to act. Malaysia is not a tiny nation. We are separated by the South China Sea”.
Siah suggested that EC work out a plan for East Malaysians to vote in the commission’s offices throughout the peninsula. They should be allowed to do so provided they register three to six months before an election.
He also urged political parties to prioritise sending these voters home to vote.
“What is the point of budgeting so much for posters, pamphlets and billboards? Posters and billboards do not vote. People vote. So it makes sense to assist our fellow citizens to come home and vote,” added Siah.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteMalaysia Airlines (MAS) menawarkan tambang istimewa kepada rakyat Malaysia untuk terbang pulang bagi mengundi pada 5 Mei di dalam Pilihan raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) ini. MAS berkata tempahan bagi kelas perniagaan dan ekonomi boleh dilakukan mulai hari ini sehingga 26 April bagi perjalanan dari 18 April hingga 30 November tahun ini, sebagai sebahagian daripada tambang istimewa PRU13 itu.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteKatanya tambang kelas ekonomi yang merangkumi kesemua bayaran dari Kuala Lumpur ke Alor Setar, Pulau Pinang, Terengganu, Kuantan, Kota Baharu, Johor Baharu dan Langkawi bermula dari RM130 manakala tambang pulang yang merangkumi kesemua bayaran bermula dari RM713.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteSementara itu, MAS berkata tambang pulang yang merangkumi kesemua bayaran dari Kuala Lumpur ke Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, Tawau, Miri, Sibu, Sandakan, Bintulu dan Kuching bagi kelas ekonomi atau perniagaan masing-masing bermula serendah RM300 dan RM1,713.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteMAS berkata rakyat Malaysia juga boleh terbang dari Kuching ke Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Bintulu atau Sibu dari serendah RM76, yang merangkumi kesemua bayaran tambang pulang pada kelas ekonomi dan dari RM1,513 bagi kelas perniagaan.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteKatanya penerbangan dari Kota Kinabalu ke Tawau, Labuan dan Sandakan bermula dari RM136 yang merangkumi kesemua tambang pulang dan dari RM1,713 bagi kelas perniagaan.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteBagi penumpang yang menempah penerbangan antara 27 April dan 12 Mei tetapi mahu menangguhkan perjalanan masing-masing bagi PRU13, MAS akan mengetepikan caj penalti dan melanjutkan tempoh perjalanan masing-masing sehingga 31 Julai tahun ini.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDelete“Kamungkinan kami adalah syarikat penerbangan tunggal yang membenarkan para penumpang menyemak semula pelan perjalanan masing-masing bagi PRU. “Dengan pengenalan tambang istimewa dan dasar bagasi kabin, para penumpang boleh merancang dengan mudah perjalanan sehari untuk pulang bagi mengundi,” kata Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Ahmad Jauhari Yahya.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteSyarikat penerbangan tambang rendah, AirAsia Bhd, menawarkan harga tambang rendah istimewa kepada rakyat Malaysia yang mahu pulang ke kampung halaman untuk membuang undi pada Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13. Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya, Aireen Omar berkata tambang rendah itu akan dapat membantu mereka pulang pada hari pengundian yang akan diadakan pada 5 Mei.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDelete"Kami menjangka ramai orang Malaysia yang akan melakukan perjalanan untuk kembali ke kawasan pengundian mereka masing-masing untuk melaksanakan tanggungjawab sebagai pengundi.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDelete"Balik untuk mengundi menggunakan perkhidmatan penerbangan adalah pilihan yang lebih baik, terutamanya dengan kekerapan tinggi penerbangan domestik AirAsia, yang akan membolehkan ramai orang merancang perjalanan sehari bagi pilihan raya, dan barang kali merupakan cara terbaik untuk mengelakkan kesesakan di lebuh raya," katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteAirAsia berkata rakyat Malaysia dari bandar-bandar di Indonesia boleh pulang untuk mengundi dengan tambang daripada sehingga serendah RM55 sehala, manakala tambang bermula daripada sehingga serendah RM120 dan RM124 sehala masing-masing dari Singapura dan bandar-bandar lain di Asean.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteBagi penerbangan domestik seluruh Malaysia, tambang bermula daripada RM29 sehala bagi laluan seperti Kuala Lumpur ke Johor Baharu, Pulau Pinang, Alor Setar, Terengganu, Langkawi dan lain-lain. Tambang istimewa itu juga termasuk penerbangan yang beroperasi dari hab lain AirAsia di seluruh negara.
MAS DAN AIRASIA TAWAR TAMBANG ISTEMEWA UNTUK PRU13
ReplyDeleteSyarikat penerbangan itu berkata tambang murah itu sudah boleh ditempah di laman web AirAsia, www.airasia.com untuk tempoh perjalanan segera, serta menerusi platform tempahan mudah alihnya menerusi telefon berkeupayaan WAP di mobile.airasia.com dan AirAsia apps di peranti iPhone dan Android.
MoCS juga patut bagi cadangan bagaimana mahu menyelesaikan masalah itu.. jangan hanya tahu bagi cadangan disaat2 akhir dan menyelahkan SPR sedangkan mereka sendiri tidak tahu bagaimana mahu selesaikan masalah itu..
ReplyDeletejika kerajaan membiayai kos penerbangan mereka untuk pulang mengundi, bolehkah MoCS bagi jaminan bahawa pembangkang tidak akan mempolitikkan langkah itu dengan menuduh kerajaan cuba membeli undi??
ReplyDeleteBeliau berkata SPR hanya menyediakan elaun kepada petugas SPR yang perlu bertugas pada hari pengundian berlangsung sahaja.
ReplyDeleteSuruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) tidak menyediakan elaun perjalanan untuk pengundi balik ke kawasan mengundi masing-masing, kata Pengerusinya Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.
ReplyDeleteMengulas mengenai wujudnya keadaan di mana parti politik menyediakan elaun kepada pengundi untuk balik mengundi, Abdul Aziz berkata elaun itu tidak akan dianggap rasuah sekiranya diberikan tanpa syarat.
ReplyDeleteSepatutnya duduk di satu tempat lebih tiga bulan, bawah undang-undang pendaftaran boleh ubah alamat di kad pengenalan, tukar di JPN (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara) apabila telah tukar bagi tahu secara rasmi pertukaran kepada SPR
ReplyDeletesama ada pengundi yang bekerja di luar kawasan daftar pemilih diberikan elaun perjalanan sekiranya pulang ke kampung halaman untuk mengundi.
ReplyDeleteKatanya, perkara itu tidak perlu dijadikan alasan untuk tidak keluar mengundi kerana pengundi boleh menukar alamat dalam kad pengenalan sekiranya lebih tiga bulan bermastautin di sesuatu tempat berdasarkan undang-undang.
ReplyDeleteWe should be allowed to vote.
ReplyDeleteEC should be more lenient
ReplyDeleteWays are many to be found
ReplyDeleteKita akan balik mengundi juga
ReplyDeleteMore friendly campaigns in Sabah to be particular
ReplyDeleteBarisan Nasional menjanjikan kita sebuah mimpi realistik jadi kita harus menghargainya dan menjalankan tanggungjawab dengan baik
ReplyDeletePostal vote will start on this Sunday and I hope more and more voters will come out and vote
ReplyDeleteI am sure most of them will come out and make themselves known for the votes
ReplyDeleteJangan susah cara memang banyak tengok mana satu yang sesuai
ReplyDeleteFind a way and you will see the way, though far yet you can reach there
ReplyDeletePenganalisis politik menemui tiga pola utama kecenderungan pengundian rakyat Malaysia pada setiap musim pilihan raya umum.
ReplyDeletePola pertama ialah kecenderungan memilih parti politik. Kecenderungan ini boleh dikategorikan sebagai kelompok yang bersikap ideal dalam berpolitik. Pola ini amat besar dan berpengaruh. Ia adalah penentu kemenangan sesebuah parti yang bertanding.
ReplyDeleteKecenderungan ini lahir daripada pemikiran yang menanggapi kegiatan berpolitik sebagai satu kegiatan berkumpulan atau berjemaah. Agenda dan cita-cita besar politik tidak akan dapat direncanakan dalam bentuk dasar dan amalan tanpa dukungan dan sokongan secara berkumpulan.
ReplyDeleteApatah lagi dalam konteks amalan demokrasi moden hari ini. Ketua negara, iaitu Yang di-Pertuan Agong hanya akan memberikan izin penubuhan kerajaan kepada parti yang mendapat persetujuan umum atau majoriti. Bagaimana ketua negara akan menentukan parti yang mana mendapat persetujuan umum? Ia berasaskan jumlah perolehan atau kemenangan yang dicapai oleh sesebuah parti dalam proses pilihan raya yang sudah dijalankan.
ReplyDeleteOleh itu, pemilihan parti harus lebih diutamakan berbanding faktor yang lain bagi memastikan perkumpulan atau jemaah politik yang didukung memperoleh keabsahan kepemimpinan secara meyakinkan untuk menubuhkan kerajaan.
ReplyDeletePola kedua ialah kecenderungan bagi memilih calon berbanding parti politik. Kecenderungan ini lahir dari pandangan yang melihat politik sebagai wasilah bagi menjalankan perkhidmatan setempat. Kelompok ini boleh dikategorikan sebagai golongan yang pragmatis. Kebergantungan mereka kepada calon melebihi kepada parti politik.
ReplyDeletePola ketiga pula ialah kecenderungan yang tidak memihak kepada parti atau calon tetapi berasaskan penilaian bagi memenuhi kepentingan dan keperluan politik setempat dan nasional secara menyeluruh. Kecenderungan politik ini sering dirujuk sebagai pola bercorak strategik. Pola ini lahir daripada tanggapan mengenai kepentingan mewujudkan keseimbangan dalam sistem dan amalan politik negara.
ReplyDeleteHasil pengundian berbentuk ini didorong oleh kecenderungan yang dibentuk oleh pola politik ketiga ini. Mewujudkan keseimbangan demokrasi adalah keutamaan terpenting dalam pengundian. Oleh itu, tindakan politik yang perlu dilakukan ialah memberikan undi yang berbeza kepada calon dan parti yang bertanding pada peringkat DUN dan Parlimen.
ReplyDeleteMALAYSIA's economy delivered a pleasant surprise in the second quarter, accelerating to a 5.4% annualised expansion from 4.7% in 1Q despite stronger headwinds from the global economy. Yet, many analysts continue to express concerns about the country’s economic prospects. The latest note of caution was from Fitch, which raised some legitimate questions over the fiscal deficit and public debt.
ReplyDelete
DeleteSo, is the glass half full or half empty? Our view is that the Malaysian economy will certainly slow down in the coming quarters since its highly export-oriented economy cannot avoid the impact of the global slowdown.
However, resilient domestic demand will help mitigate this global impact. Structural problems — mainly related to economic competitiveness, household debt and rising fiscal weakness — certainly exist, but these are fixable with reforms that are in the works. Their implementation, however, has been delayed because of political concerns. Consequently, the critical issue in Malaysia today is politics, not the economy.
Delete
DeleteWhere does the economy stand? As one of the most open economies in the world, the Malaysian economy might have been expected to have shown the same deceleration that other export-oriented Asian countries such as South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore have suffered. Yet, economic growth held up in recent months because of two important factors:
Delete• The first was the fiscal pump priming that the government has engaged in. Transfer payments to low-income households and large pay increases for civil servants boosted consumer spending. Many projects under the government’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) are now taking off, boosting public investment by 28.9%; and
Delete• Since no economy can rely on such fiscal injections for too long, it is encouraging that a second factor is also at work, one that is more sustainable in the long term. The reforms that Prime Minister Datuk Sri Najib Razak and his predecessor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, have instituted since 2004 are bearing fruit. Khazanah Malaysia, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, has worked hard to improve efficiency in the government-linked companies that play a major role in the economy’s commanding heights. The continuous push to deregulate, cut red tape and reduce some of the more intrusive requirements related to affirmative action programmes have helped improve the business climate and attract private investment. As a result, private investment also rose 24.6% in 2Q. Over the longer term, it is such policy reforms that will drive the economy. Some have criticised them as incremental. It is certainly the case that the reforms can and should go further, but we should also note that they have produced good results so far.
• Malaysia’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business survey has improved to 18th in 2012 from an already credible 23rd in 2011; and • Its rankings in competitiveness surveys have also improved. Malaysia is the 10th most attractive country in A T Kearney’s 2012 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index, a huge improvement on No 21 in 2010.
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DeletePartly as a result of this progress, the investment share of GDP has soared to 28.5%, the highest since the country’s financial crisis in the late 1990s. A higher share of investment in GDP is important in helping to boost economic growth.
DeleteWhat are the structural strengths and challenges? Malaysia remains blessed with many strengths. It has a youthful population at a time when many of its competitors, including China, are burdened with an ageing workforce.
DeleteIts population is still small relative to the natural resources such as oil, gas and palm oil that it is abundantly endowed with. While its manufacturing sector has lost some of its oomph, Malaysia remains a highly competitive base for higher-value activities such as electronics contract manufacturing. It has demonstrated an ability to create new areas of competitive advantage such as solar panels and oil/gas-related chemicals.
Nevertheless, Malaysia does face a real risk of falling into the middle-income trap. Over the past 100 years, there have been many instances of once-high-performing economies that hit a wall and remained trapped in a low-growth equilibrium for decades — Brazil, Argentina, the Philippines and Pakistan come to mind.
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DeleteContinued high growth is not preordained. For economies to successfully adapt to changing circumstances, they must have companies that can engineer the bottom-up adjustments, and a political leadership that has the skill to implement the top-down policy reforms — even when these create short-term pain.
DeleteMalaysia is not in a middle-income trap yet, but could well fall into it. Like many of its Asian neighbours, it suffered a double shock in the late 1990s — a devastating financial crisis and the rise of China as an exporter of manufactured goods, directly competing with Malaysia.
DeleteAt the top-down level, policy responses in the late 1990s were inadequate to address these challenges. At the bottom-up level, the legacies of earlier well-intentioned but failed economic strategies such as the national car project have not been cleared away — leaving them as drags on current economic performance.
What are the reforms that can prevent a middle-income trap? Liberalisation of the affirmative action programme is often cited as the key reform. It is important for the longer term, but is probably not the single most important reform right now. For the time being, if Malaysia can tackle the following issues effectively, economic growth can move up a notch and so make it easier to tackle the harder reforms later:
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Delete• Worrying fiscal trajectory: Implementation of the goods and services tax together with a rationalisation of the subsidy system can help turn around the fiscal situation;
• Rising household debt: Malaysia’s high ratio of household debt to GDP has risen from 33% in 1997 to 78% in 2011, high for its per capita income level. The ratio of household debt to disposable income was 140%, significantly higher than in Singapore (105%), Thailand (53%) and Indonesia (38%). Given the bad experience with such debt levels in countries as diverse as the US, South Korea and Spain, this is a potential risk. However, Bank Negara Malaysia has tightened regulations and there is a considerable buffer of household assets to cover these debts. While continued vigilance is needed to bring these debt levels down, Malaysia’s household debt position is not likely to create serious problems;
Delete• Institutional degradation: Corruption and cronyism are the real challenges holding Malaysia back. These social ills have contributed to the degradation of key institutions in Malaysia — unless this damage is reversed, Malaysia’s ambitions to attain a developed economy status cannot be achieved. Malaysia’s position in the Corruption Perceptions Index has deteriorated from 36 in 2001 to 60 in 2011. The strategies that have been pursued in recent years to tackle this challenge have not worked and need to be radically rethought.
DeleteWhy politics matters There are several reasons politics is key to Malaysia’s economic progress. First, the economic reforms needed to avoid falling into the middle-income trap almost always come with high costs that require sensitive political management.
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DeleteFor example, inefficient firms will fail as reforms open the economy to more competition, or as subsidies are removed — and unemployment rises. The problem is that these costs are borne upfront while the benefits take years to flow through. Political leaders would find it difficult to take the long view and manage the short-run costs if the political situation is volatile.
Second, because there are always winners and losers from reforms, political sensitivities will be hurt during a reform process. More often than not, the losers are from entrenched vested interests who can disrupt the reform process.
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DeleteThird, when there is substantial uncertainty over future political directions, businesses will delay investments or shift investments abroad. Businesses are not worried about political changes per se but the policy implications of a political event. If investors are confident that the right policy directions will be taken, then political change itself will not be upsetting.
The bottom line The Malaysian economy is gradually building a base for a new phase of growth, but this new growth will come about only if the structural reforms are made.
Delete’Malaysia’s economic freedom score is 66.4, making its economy the 53rd freest in the 2012 Index. Its score is 0.1 point higher than last year, reflecting a gain in business freedom partially offset by declining effectiveness in the control of government spending.
ReplyDeleteMalaysia is ranked 9th out of 41 countries in the Asia–Pacific region, and its overall score is above the world and regional averages.The Malaysian economy has shown a moderate degree of resilience in the face of a challenging global economic environment.
DeleteReform efforts have continued in many of the four pillars of economic freedom. The overall regulatory framework is now more efficient, and business procedures have been streamlined.
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DeleteImplementation of policies intended to support open markets and encourage a vibrant private sector is enhancing investment flows and improving the vitality of entrepreneurship.
DeleteThe Economy of Malaysia is a growing and relatively open state-oriented and newly industrialised market economy. The state plays a significant but declining role in guiding economic activity through macroeconomic plans.
DeleteIn 2007, the economy of Malaysia was the 3rd largest economy in South East Asia and 28th largest economy in the world by purchasing power parity with gross domestic product for 2008 of $222 billion with a growth rate of 5% to 7% since 2007. In 2010, GDP per capita (PPP) of Malaysia stands at US$14,700. In 2009, the nominal GDP was US$383.6 billion, and the nominal per capita GDP was US$8,100.
The Southeast Asian nation experienced an economic boom and underwent rapid development during the late 20th century and has a GDP per capita of $14,800, being considered a newly industrialized country. On the income distribution, there are 5.8 million households in 2007.
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DeleteOf that, 8.6% have a monthly income below RM1,000, 29.4% had between RM1,000 and RM2,000, while 19.8% earned between RM2,001 and RM3,000; 12.9% of the households earned between RM3,001 and RM4,000 and 8.6% between RM4,001 and RM5,000. Finally, around 15.8% of the households have an income of between RM5,001 and RM10,000 and 4.9% have an income of RM10,000 and above.
DeleteAs one of three countries that control the Strait of Malacca, international trade plays a large role in its economy. At one time, it was the largest producer of tin, rubber and palm oil in the world. Manufacturing has a large influence in the country's economy.[17] Malaysia is the world's largest Islamic banking and financial centre.
DeleteSince it became independent in 1957, Malaysia's economic record has been one of Asia's best. Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by an average of 6.5% per year from 1957 to 2005. Performance peaked in the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, as the economy experienced sustained rapid growth averaging almost 8% annually.
DeleteHigh levels of foreign and domestic private investment played a significant role as the economy diversified and modernized. Once heavily dependent on primary products such as rubber and tin, Malaysia today is a middle-income country with a multi-sector economy based on services and manufacturing. Malaysia is one of the world's largest exporters of semiconductor components and devices, electrical goods, solar panels, and information and communication technology (ICT) products.
Malaysia's capital market crossed the RM2 trillion threshold for the first time ever as at end-2010. The capital market had achieved an annual compounded growth rate of 11% from RM717bil in 2000 due to rapid industry expansion and strong regulatory oversight that underpinned investor confidence in the Malaysian capital market.
DeleteThe Malaysian government subsidizes and controls prices on a lot of essential items to keep the prices low. Prices of items such as palm oil cooking oil, petrol, flour, bread, rice and other essentials have been kept under market prices to keep cost of living low. In 2008, the government announced that it has spent RM40.1 billion in 2007 in subsidies to keep prices leveled. As of 2009, 22 per cent of government expenditures were subsidies, with petrol subsidies alone taking up 12 per cent.
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DeleteSmuggling and hoarding, which leads to shortages, is a prominent problem in Malaysia due to the subsidies. For example, cooking oil is subsidised for domestic use only. This situation creates an environment where industrial players hoard domestic cooking oil for industrial use. During shortage time, such as the January 2008 cooking oil crisis, the government imposed a 5 kg limit for each purchase to relief domestic demand.
However, the limited purchase has created more panic buying, which prompt the Government to negotiate with cooking oil manufacturers to increase their production capacity, and the situation reverted to normal within one week. Another example is when vehicles in Thailand come to Malaysia to smuggle cheap petrol and diesel out of the country. The government also looking into restructuring the fuel subsidy so that the selected needy group will get the subsidy. The government is considering removing subsidies on diesel for general consumers while maintaining subsidies for suitable groups, such as those involved in public transport.
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DeleteOn January 2010, the government announce dual price structure for fuel, based on citizenship. Foreigners are expected to pay market price for fuel while citizens will have subsidy allocations based to engine capacity. The dual pricing structure is expected to begin on May 1, 2010.
The government has considered to remove the subsidies but a formal plan had yet to materialized as of 2007. In 2008, the government is considering to remove price controls on construction materials such as cement and steel bars while banning exports to ensure steady supply. The government is experimenting with the idea through allowing Sabah and Sarawak construction players to import steel and cement since February 2008.
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DeleteThe government then, on May 12, 2008 removed ceiling prices on steel bars and billets and removed import duties on selected items under HS Code 7214.10 110 and 7214.20 910, which do not fully cover steel bars use by the construction industry.[60] The government then further liberalized the cement industry by abolishing ceiling prices on June 5, 2008.
DeleteAnother strategic item which is heavily subsidized but moving towards a market based approach is natural gas which is used in the industrial sector. Beginning July 1, 2008, the government is expected to reduce the gas subsidy 5% to 10% per annum over 11 years, in which the gas price will reflect market price.