MINISTER HOPES FOR LOWER GAS & ELECTRICITY TARIFF

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- Minister of International Trade and
Industry, Muhyiddin Yassin hopes that the gas and electricity tariff will be
revised to a "much lower" level than now.

"Much, much lower," he said when asked on his expectation on the outcome of
the decision to review gas price for the energy sector to enable the reduction
in electricity tariff.

However, he did not say how much lower he expected the tariff to go.

The quantum needs to be worked out by the Economic Planning Unit, the
Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications (MEWC), Petronas (national
petroleum company) and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB, main Malaysian energy
provider), he told a press conference here, Thursday.

Earlier, he delivered a keynote address at the Asian Strategy & Leadership
Institute's 11th Malaysian Strategic Outlook Conference.

"The relevant agencies need to sit down and work out (the details) and
bring it back to the cabinet. It shouldn't take too long."

He said the manufacturing sector raised the issue of gas and electricity
tariff during the ministry's annual dialogue session last year.

Gas price subsidy was reduced last June and electricity tariff was raised in
July. The jump in gas price from RM6.40 per mmBTU to RM14.31 per mmBTU was
accompanied by a hike in tariff, averaging 24 per cent across the board.
(US$1=RM3.60)
-- BERNAMA