KUALA LUMPUR: The government's decision to provide incentives to a sugar refinery company is a temporary measure aimed at curbing potential inflation in food prices, says Fuziah Salleh ."How can the ministry ensure that this subsidy is utilised effectively and that the benefits of this incentive ultimately reach the people, especially considering the existence of premium sugar which is difficult to distinguish from regular sugar?" he said.
She said it was important to regulate sugar prices to mitigate inflationary pressures across various sectors, including food and beverages. Fuziah acknowledged that while premium sugar was initially introduced to assist manufacturers in mitigating losses, it had not effectively addressed the underlying issues.
"Unchecked increases in sugar prices could have ripple effects, leading to higher costs for consumers and exacerbating inflation.