KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — BMI Country Risk & Industry Research (BMI) has retained its forecast for Malaysia’s budget deficit as a share of gross domestic products (GDP) to fall from 4.9 per cent in 2023 to 4.3 per cent in 2024, in line with the government’s fiscal projections.

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 17 — The focus on reducing Budget 2024's fiscal deficit is aimed at boosting investor confidence and spurring economic growth, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — MIDF Research has maintained a positive outlook on the consumer sector due to solid domestic retail growth in 2023 and 2024.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Malaysia’s sovereign rating is likely to be status quo for at least the next three to six months, said Maybank Investment Bank (Maybank IB).

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — The ringgit opened lower against the US dollar, extending its downtrend from last Friday as investors turned to the safe haven greenback amidst the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — The Electric Motorcycle Usage Incentive Scheme initiative announced in Budget 2024 is expected to increase the demand and usage of electric motorcycles (e-bikes) in Malaysia and is in line with the government’s target to achieve 15 per cent of electric vehicles (EV) for total motorcycle sales by 2030, said the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and loT Institute (MARii).

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Malaysia will be able to attract more quality and sustainable investments following the announcement of the Budget 2024 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Friday, said the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida).

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Malaysia has achieved strong growth in using e-payment due to cooperation and commitment from the public and private sectors as well as urban and rural communities, said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) is optimistic the RM200 million allocation in Budget 2024 as the initial fund to drive the New Industrial Masterplan 2030 (NIMP2030) would elevate the sector as the country’s engine of new growth.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — The ringgit is expected to remain easier next week, trading in the RM4.72 - RM4.74 range against the US dollar.

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 13 — Information and Communications Technology (ICT), as well as e-commerce, contributed 23 per cent to the nation's economy with a 14.8 per cent growth to register RM412.3 billion in 2022, from RM359.3 billion in 2021, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The ringgit concluded the final session for the week on a weaker note against the US dollar, as the greenback strengthened against other currencies over the past 24 hours.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The temporary price controls for eggs and chicken will be lifted so the local market can function freely in ensuring a sufficient supply of these food items.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The choice between the Sales and Service Tax (SST) and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hinges on Malaysia's economic goals, administrative capabilities, and the need to achieve an optimal balance between revenue generation and the promotion of fairness and equity among the rakyat, said the Finance Ministry (MoF).

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Maaysia’s domestic demand is projected to expand by 5.3 per cent in 2024, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said in its Economic Outlook 2024 report released today.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The Federal government’s revenue collection in 2024 anticipates a marginal growth of 1.5 per cent to RM307.6 billion or 15.6 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), driven by higher tax collection.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The ringgit traded higher against most major currencies except against the US dollar in the early session today as the greenback strengthened amid the higher-than-expected US inflation data, said an analyst.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — AirAsia is offering a 50 per cent discount on one-way base fares exclusively to MYAirline passengers affected by the carrier’s suspension of operations.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Malaysia's manufacturing sector saw its sales value fall 3.3 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM152.3 billion in August 2023, mainly due to the petroleum chemical, rubber and plastic sub-sector which shrank 12.1 per cent, said the Statistics Department.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — The ringgit snapped two consecutive days of gains to open lower against the US dollar on cautious sentiment despite the weaker performance of the greenback.