KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — The Malaysian government should offer diesel subsidies to tour buses and tour vans amid an 82 per cent jump in local retail diesel prices due to the Iran war, Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) urged today.
MITA president Mint Leong said local tourism transport operators are struggling to cope with and absorb the increased costs from the diesel price hike, as most of their vehicles such as tour buses and tour vans use diesel.
“MITA wishes to request to the government, if subsidies are given to the tourism industry, 3,000 litre per month for tour buses and 2,500 litre per month for tour vans,” she said in a press conference here, adding that this was a reasonable amount based on calculations from the local travel industry.
With the diesel retail price jumping from RM3.02 per litre from before the war to RM5.52 litre now, Leong said the local tourism industry has heard feedback of those tour bus and tour van operators who want to give up and shut down their businesses, as well as ferry operators who have already reduced trips to cope with increased costs.
“I want to call all industry players, don’t give up, don’t stop, however much we can “tahan” (stand it), we stand, but we still hope for the government to give the subsidy we request,” she said.
In the same press conference, MITA vice-president (transport) Logeswaran K. Sukumar said the diesel subsidies that the travel industry is seeking from the government would not even cover the full costs from the rising diesel prices, but would at least cover part of their fuel costs.
“We don’t ask for much from the government. But what can we do? We are the second biggest contributor of revenue to the country, it can’t be can’t even give us a little. At least give us 3,000 litres,” he said.
While saying that the rising fuel prices is part of a global crisis, he urged the government to not abandon the local tourism players whom he said are the “backbone” of tourism in Malaysia.
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Malay Mail – Malaysia
