Budget 2012 to include efforts to overcome rising cost of living

IPOH: The government has taken several initiatives in preparing the 2012 budget to overcome the rising cost of living, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said.

He said the current rise in the cost of living was due to global instability, where in the context of food supply, the demand and supply were not in balance.

"The rise is also due to the increase in world population. To overcome this issue in Malaysia, the government has decided to include it as part of national agenda and the national key result areas (NKRA).

"In our context, the cost of living involves food supply, housing and public transportation. The government has taken initiatives to find solutions to this issue and they will be tabled together with the 2012 budget," he told reporters after attending Jelapang Baru Rukun Tetangga's (Neighbourhood Watch) Aidilfitri open house here today.

He said several short-term solutions that would solve urgent matters and long-term solutions which would involve efforts to strengthen the overall network had also been lined-up to overcome the issue.

"On matters concerning public transportation for example, the government has given its green light for the construction of the Mass Rapid Transit for the convenience of the people in the Federal Territories," he said.

For the people outside Kuala Lumpur, he said the government had also instructed the Land Public Transport Commission to carry out a thorough study, including on how to improve the existing transportation system, and to table their findings to the Cabinet. – Bernama