Tuesday, February 28, 2006

No good days after petrol hike

The price of petrol has increased by 30 cents a liter this morning, and the upshot was a new surge of financial hardship to consumers.

The Prime Minister's department said that the savings from the price increase would be used for development projects and improving the public transport system for the benefit of all people. It sounds like the funding will be utilized wisely, but then who will assure that the function be going proper? What if the revenue - administration - corruptions - contractors = deficit? Would the saving from petrol subsidy "fly" to plane the bewildered books of MAS?

The simple reason for the petrol increment is justified by giving back the consumers with better public transport system. On the surface, it is a reasonable trade-off. But in depth, how about the ongoing inflation induced by the petrol price increment! The wave of added cost of living is now trigger on. I'm sure at least you'll pay for a higher transport fare!

Consumers in Malaysia have already burdened with taxes such as income tax, service tax, sales tax and import duties. Not only they have to pay for utility bills, also they have to face red-tapes in order to comply as tax payers. Just imagines, they have to fork out more money and more time to sustain their livings.

Salaries are crippled; businesses are going neither good or better; shares market is dour; and the social security is infirm - the poor income resources. Some more the policemen are out to catch the summon debtors; the tax men are out to catch the tax defaulters; city council people are also out to catch the parking offenders - the never ending mouse and cat businesses. For the above, who cares?

My feeling is that the government is like a retired old man who has lost his earning power and is merely relying on monetary support from his poor children. The old man grins while the children lame. By and large, how could the development for a better next generation be yielded?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

kk, welldone for ur new clean layout, work on.

Lydia Teh said...

kk, I think the sidebar (the white text) should be on the right, isn't it? Then it'd be easier to read.

We all have to tighten our strings. No more letting the car idle while waiting for the kids.

Dr.Prince (王子- 陳琮祐) said...

The government is trying to cut the flow of money in the economy, but is in vain, because it will bring inflation, and people are taking advantage to increase their prices.

I had a bowl of mee for RM 4.30- 30cents increase, it allows unscrupulous proprietor to take advantage of the increase, at the end, we are the consumers who will eventually suffer..Sigh...As an employee, we may be wondering when will be our next increment then?

Anonymous said...

nothing beats having to pay tol AND road tax.

My question is, what's the road tax for then if the money we pay as tol is being used to maintain the roads?

aneeta

Picatho (百可度) said...

Adam, Tk for your visit.

Lydia, Tk for your suggestion. I've changed the sidebar with a photo of 'my other half', a young grandmother, in order to make the sidebar's text perceptible. Yes loh, not only we have to tighten our belt but also have to stay at home more often so that we can plant our own vegetable as what paper teaches.

Dr Prince, as we can see, government only knows how to tax and spend. I also know how to manage this kind of left hand in - right hand out business and perhaps in a better way. Did she bring us more oats and joys? Let's wait and see, deflation is coming as people's buying power has moderated.

Aneeta, road tax is roads pricing revenues which is to support road fund including the feeding of JPJ peoples and expenses, while toll charge is a kind of levy payable to the construction party in term of annuity. Unfortunately how the debit and credit of the collection is out of our knowledge.

Anonymous said...

吵什麼吵,
汽油只漲三角,
問蒼天無語,
百姓眼淚滔滔。

吵什麼吵,
汽油漲價何時了,
達官貴人唱雙簧,
百姓只好少開銷。

吵什麼吵,
開源節流最上道,
看著商家處處倒,
經濟再來大蕭條。

問你們怕嗎?