Friday, June 6, 2008

To subsidise or not to subsidise? That's the question.

The Government has now announced an increase in petrol price by 78 sen to RM2.70 per litre, an increase of more than 40 per cent.
I may be mistaken but there seems to be less vehicles on the road today. But obviously that is not all that will happen. All other consumer goods, services and luxury goods would increase in price.
The cost of living must go up. Put another way there will be inflation and the standard of living will go down.
The increase hurts but the pain is greater not just because of the increase percentage-wise is higher than in developed countries but because of the manner the increase is made.
A few days ago the Government decided to ban sale of petrol to foreign cars. It flipped. Now foreign cars can buy again. Flopped.
Knowing that in a few days it was going to raise the price and foreigners would be allowed to buy, why cannot the Government just wait instead of banning and unbanning.
But be that as it may what could the Government have done to lessen the burden on the people that results from the increase in petrol price.
I believe the people expect the increase of petrol price. But what they are angry about is the quantum and the suddenness. The Prime Minister was hinting at August but suddenly it came two months earlier, just after the ban on sale of petrol to foreigners.
If the increase had been more gradual, the people would not feel it so much. But of course this means that the Government would have to subsidise, though to a decreasing extent.

Can the Government subsidise?

( Extracted from www.chedet.com )

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TIME

There are times

when reminiscences of yesteryears

will drown me in tears

of misdeeds...cliche's. ..charades...n camouflage

of wasted days...grievances

and of sheer bliss...pure rapture!...euphoria. ..reality denied

an everlasting 'heaven on earth’

but time, unfeeling time

disclaim reversion of those paces

Alas!!...I have to go on

yet to efface the memoirs of yesterday

is beyond my will

I can only veil souvenies of eternal memories

embedded in my heart

and relish those deja' vu

Its time again...for me to portray perspectives

in myriads of colours

For Life's own...isnt just a single ray of hue

TIME...they say

heals all wounds...Time...d best therapy

for ailments of emotions

Time again..is the antidote...for all woes

Thus, im giving in to TIME

letting time takes its pace

learning now not to dwell on bygones

of joys we've reached...& of joys that never really were!

just a make believe...of castles & gardens u made me see

....a mirage!!! ...an illusion

I was stung...down..slain

but now im up on my feet and walking again

starting anew....given a new strength

to prod on...taking life as it comes

'cos things did & do happen for reasons

with blessings in disguise thereafter

as depicted & wirtten in our life lines

Life...without this prism of colours

isnt a life to start with

and TIME...its reigning factor

TIME...and only time

withholds the answers

to questions unanswered...Que Sera Sera!!

in retrospect : composed: 31 January 2008

( in memory of sumthin' worth remembering )