KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Consumers Association (Maconas) has urged the Govern-ment to scrap the subsidy on sugar which costs about RM720mil annually.
Its president Tan Sri Darshan Singh Gill said if the subsidy was to go on, it would increase to RM1bil in due course.
The money could be better used for development projects, he added.
“Sugar is not a staple item like rice and flour. Sugar by itself is not a necessity.
“In fact, health authorities have always discouraged sugar consumption and if at all, to be consumed minimally,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Darshan Singh said Maconas was not suggesting that the use of sugar be stopped completely but it should be reduce to the minimum.
“What we are saying is that the price of sugar should be guided by market forces, and this will certainly bring down the consumption of sugar since consumers will only buy the amount they really need.
“With the drop in demand, even the price of sugar will come down,” he said.
Darshan Singh added that the increase in sugar consumption had resulted in the sharp rise of diabetic cases among Malaysians, particularly among the younger generation.
“Something must be done now.
“The Government must take some drastic steps and carry out aggresive campaigns against the use of excessive sugar,” he added.
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