By: Moaz Yusuf Ahmad

I am currently on holiday in Canada, visiting my family. While here, I took note of the fall of gasoline (petrol) prices.

Petrol prices in the Greater Toronto Area (Canada) from Dec 13-present

Dec 13-15: CAD 0.755/L
Dec 15-24: CAD 0.724/L
Dec 23-24: CAD 0.689/L
Dec 25 – present: CAD 0.665/L

Factor in the current exchange rate, which is about 3:1 and you have a price of RM 1.98/L…but at least 40% of the pump price that is paid in Canada includes government taxes.

What this means is that the price per litre without taxes in Canada would be approximately CAD 0.445/L or RM1.25/L

In Canada the 40% taxes go to different levels of government and each cent must be accounted for.

Who is accounting for the surplus that the Malaysian government is receiving?

The Association for the Improvement of Mass-Transit (TRANSIT) Klang Valley has already gone one record saying that the surplus money paid by Malaysians on their petrol should be used to reduce the toll burden, car-ownership burden, and improve public transport in Malaysian cities and communities.

Money collected for this unofficial “transport tax” should be used to pay for transport projects, and should not be going into general revenues.

Regards

Moaz Yusuf Ahmad

on behalf of TRANSIT

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