Budget 2026: Duty-Free Cars for Taxi Drivers, i-Saraan for Gig Workers

The government will continue offering full excise duty and sales tax exemptions for taxi and private hire vehicle owners purchasing new Proton and Perodua cars under Budget 2026.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also announced that HRD Corp will allocate RM10 million to fund course fees and training allowances for registered taxi drivers who contribute to the scheme and undergo capacity-building programmes. The move aims to improve operational efficiency and safety within the industry.

Meanwhile, gig, e-hailing, and p-hailing workers will benefit from a matching contribution incentive of up to RM600 per year, or RM6,000 over a lifetime, under the new i-Saraan Plus scheme.

The existing i-Saraan programme will also continue for informal and self-employed workers, offering matching contributions of up to RM500 annually or RM5,000 in total.

Under the newly enacted Gig Workers Act 2025, PERKESO contributions are now mandatory for gig workers. To ease the transition, the government will cover 70% of the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme contribution for first-time registrants in sectors not yet mandated, and 50% in the second year.