I was reading through Malaysia's once longest serving Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir's blog: Chedet and I found the following information interesting:
Roughly Malaysia produces 650,000 barrels of crude per day. We consume 400,000 barrels leaving 250,000 barrels to be exported.
Three years ago the selling price of crude was about USD30 per barrel. Today it is USD130 – an increase of USD100. There is hardly any increase in the production cost so that the extra USD100 can be considered as pure profit.
Our 250,000 barrels of export should earn us 250,000 x 100 x 365 x 3 = RM27,375,000,000 (twenty seven billion Ringgit).
But Petronas made a profit of well over RM70 billion, all of which belong to the Government.
By all accounts the Government is flushed with money.
But besides petrol the prices of palm oil, rubber and tin have also increased by about 400 per cent. Plantation companies and banks now earn as much as RM3 billion in profits each. Taxes paid by them must have also increased greatly.
I wrote this on mymatahari's blog as a comment to her latest entry, but decided after that I should just make it an entry on my own.
It's times like these that I'm glad I don't own a car.
Take into account that RM 1 = Argentine Peso 1;
Price of 1 litre petrol for both countries are RM 2.70 and Pesos 2.80 each.
Then take into account that government officials from both countries have (more or less) the same salary base. And take into account that both countries have a relatively high rate of government employment among its people.
But, here, the prices of everyday commodities and food supplies are almost double that found in Malaysia. Alot of goods here are imported - even local goods are sold at imported prices, with less than pleasing quality. So how do they cope - well, barely, that is?
Once I find out, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I wish the Malaysian Government would realize the importance of a good and efficient mode of public transportation. I still can't get from Point A to Point B in KL (that's Kuala Lumpur to you lot) without having to change to another public transportation - or to take the taxis, which are already ridiculously expansive in Malaysia. I mean, here in Argentina, I can go from one end of the city to the next by using the subway (maybe change once, and even then, I don't have to pay another round). Subways and buses here costs like 90 cents per ride (Peso 1.00 on a bus if it's almost within the city's borders).
That said, I still have a thing against buses, but have been made to take it here in an effort to save costs. This year, I've decided to rely less on taxis, and thanks to Jessica, I realized that a Pesos 20.00 cab ride can still get me to the same place a Pesos 0.90 bus ride can (though I might have to walk some distance).
If the Government of MALASia (that's how it's spelt in Spanish - malas in Malay means lazy) can improve on the nation's public transportation system, I doubt the rakyat can complain too much.
Or perhaps, it's time to reconsider the HyBrid cars:
Until then, THIS Vivacious Superboy will continue to fly (high as a kite).
A shout out to Tam: Thanks so much for being the selfless driver that you are and always willing to drive me to our usual haunts. And fyi to you nosey lot, I pay the parking so SHUSH!
Roughly Malaysia produces 650,000 barrels of crude per day. We consume 400,000 barrels leaving 250,000 barrels to be exported.
Three years ago the selling price of crude was about USD30 per barrel. Today it is USD130 – an increase of USD100. There is hardly any increase in the production cost so that the extra USD100 can be considered as pure profit.
Our 250,000 barrels of export should earn us 250,000 x 100 x 365 x 3 = RM27,375,000,000 (twenty seven billion Ringgit).
But Petronas made a profit of well over RM70 billion, all of which belong to the Government.
By all accounts the Government is flushed with money.
But besides petrol the prices of palm oil, rubber and tin have also increased by about 400 per cent. Plantation companies and banks now earn as much as RM3 billion in profits each. Taxes paid by them must have also increased greatly.
**************
I wrote this on mymatahari's blog as a comment to her latest entry, but decided after that I should just make it an entry on my own.
It's times like these that I'm glad I don't own a car.
Take into account that RM 1 = Argentine Peso 1;
Price of 1 litre petrol for both countries are RM 2.70 and Pesos 2.80 each.
Then take into account that government officials from both countries have (more or less) the same salary base. And take into account that both countries have a relatively high rate of government employment among its people.
But, here, the prices of everyday commodities and food supplies are almost double that found in Malaysia. Alot of goods here are imported - even local goods are sold at imported prices, with less than pleasing quality. So how do they cope - well, barely, that is?
Once I find out, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I wish the Malaysian Government would realize the importance of a good and efficient mode of public transportation. I still can't get from Point A to Point B in KL (that's Kuala Lumpur to you lot) without having to change to another public transportation - or to take the taxis, which are already ridiculously expansive in Malaysia. I mean, here in Argentina, I can go from one end of the city to the next by using the subway (maybe change once, and even then, I don't have to pay another round). Subways and buses here costs like 90 cents per ride (Peso 1.00 on a bus if it's almost within the city's borders).
That said, I still have a thing against buses, but have been made to take it here in an effort to save costs. This year, I've decided to rely less on taxis, and thanks to Jessica, I realized that a Pesos 20.00 cab ride can still get me to the same place a Pesos 0.90 bus ride can (though I might have to walk some distance).
If the Government of MALASia (that's how it's spelt in Spanish - malas in Malay means lazy) can improve on the nation's public transportation system, I doubt the rakyat can complain too much.
Or perhaps, it's time to reconsider the HyBrid cars:
Until then, THIS Vivacious Superboy will continue to fly (high as a kite).
A shout out to Tam: Thanks so much for being the selfless driver that you are and always willing to drive me to our usual haunts. And fyi to you nosey lot, I pay the parking so SHUSH!
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