PUTRAJAYA: The data in the Central Database Hub (Padu) system is ready for the government to implement the people's programmes including targeted subsidies at any time, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
However, he emphasised that any decisions regarding implementation would be made by the government at an opportune time to prevent inflationary speculation.
"The government is trying its best to avoid inflationary speculation, therefore it is best that we keep the sequencing close to our chest.
"The guessing game is to really manage the balance on how the market and society behave," he told the media when asked about Padu's progress after the launch of the second season of the Innovathon television reality show, here today.
Rafizi also expressed concerns that premature disclosure might lead to certain entities exploiting the situation by raising prices for profit.
Stressing the importance of providing information about the data to everyone first, he said that implementation would only proceed when the government considered it suitable, with a meticulously planned mechanism in position.
Padu, launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Jan 2, aims to establish a secure and comprehensive national database for citizens and permanent residents.
Its objective is to provide a secure, comprehensive and near-real-time national primary database, which enables more accurate data analytics to be produced as well as policy formulation and data-driven decision-making processes, in addition to enabling targeted policy implementation to balance the fiscal position. — Bernama