KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 3): The government will announce enhancements to the Budi95 targeted fuel subsidy programme for e-hailing drivers this month, Treasury secretary general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican said.
He said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has held discussions with e-hailing platforms and the Transport Ministry, to assess whether current eligibility thresholds are sufficient.
“There is already a policy agreement to improve the eligibility level for e-hailing drivers,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) Business Conference on the 2026 National Budget, SST and International Trade Updates on Monday.
“The improvement will come into effect in November. It will be announced very soon,” he added.
The Budi95 programme forms part of Malaysia’s broader subsidy rationalisation initiative.
Launched at the end of September, Budi95 provides a quota to Malaysians with valid driving licences to purchase RON95 petrol at RM1.99 per litre, compared with the unsubsidised rate of RM2.60 per litre.
For Malaysians with a valid driving licence, the quota is capped at 300 litres per month.
The programme has progressively expanded since its rollout, with the MOF last month doubling the usage ceiling for full-time e-hailing drivers to 600 litres per month, benefitting over 53,900 individuals.
It also announced eligibility expansion for boat users registered under the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority.
Johan’s remarks come as the government continues to fine-tune the programme, with the ministry recently reviewing e-hailing RON95 usage data, provided by platform operators and the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad).
