No more ban on sale of fuel to foreign-registered vehicles at borders

PUTRAJAYA, The government has decided to do away with the ban on the sale of fuel to foreign-registered vehicles up to 50 km inside the country from its borders with Thailand and Singapore.

The ban, which came into effect on Monday at the border with Thailand, is to be lifted Thursday and the ban to be imposed at the border with Singapore on June 9 will not come into force.

This was disclosed by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced an increase in fuel prices nationwide effective midnight tonight.

After midnight, the price of petrol will be RM2.70 per litre, up by 78 sen, and the price of diesel will be RM2.58, up by RM1.

As part of several incentives announced along with the price increases under the restructured subsidy scheme, owners of private cars and of engine capacity of up to 2,000 cc and pick-up trucks and jeeps of up to 2,500 cc will get a cash rebate of RM625 per year when they renew their road tax. Owners of private motorcycles of engine capacity of up to 250 cc will get a cash rebate of RM150 per year.

Shahrir said that with the restructured fuel subsidy scheme and higher fuel prices, the ban on sale of fuel to foreign-registered vehicles along the border with Thailand and Singapore was no longer deemed necessary.

"When I proposed the ban, foreign vehicles were enjoying government subsidies meant for Malaysians," he told reporters package at his office here.

Bernama
05/06/08