Farm Fresh Hopes Budget 2026 To Sustain Essential Spending, Refine Sugar Tax

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- Johor-based dairy product specialist Farm Fresh Bhd hopes that the upcoming Budget 2026 will maintain funding to support household spending on essential goods while addressing health-related policies, such as sugar taxation.

Group chief financial officer (CFO) Mohd Khairul Mat Hassan said initiatives such as Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA), a one-off aid programme, have been beneficial in ensuring that Malaysians, particularly lower-income households, have more spending power for basic needs.

“We focus on essential goods, particularly milk for nutrition. More targeted initiatives that channel resources to essentials would benefit both consumers and the industry,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN CFO Sustainability Leadership Summit here today.

On the sugar tax, Mohd Khairul said a broader and more structured approach is needed to ensure behavioural change among consumers.

“It is not only about sucrose; hidden sugars such as maltodextrin should also be accounted for. A proper regulatory framework involving the Health Ministry, the food industry and the tax system will ensure the policy delivers its intended impact,” he said.

The government is scheduled to table Budget 2026 on October 10. 

-- BERNAMA