PUTRAJAYA, April 5 – The Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) will not hesitate to investigate and review prices if there are many complaints against a local or a stall, said its minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He said the investigation would involve a review of the prices of raw materials purchased from suppliers, excluding manufacturing and operating costs and prices at the producer and wholesaler level.
“The KPDNHEP will not hesitate to take action if traders are found guilty of profiteering as provided for under the Supply Act 1966 and the Price Control and Anti-Profit Act 2011.
“KPDNHEP would like to remind all traders to continue to comply with all laws established by the government, especially during Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year to avoid harsh measures being taken,” he said. told reporters ahead of a walk through Putrajaya Ramadan Bazaar in conjunction with Ops Pantau 2022 here today.
Nanta said more than 2,000 KPDNHEP enforcement staff and more than 1,000 agents will go to the field to monitor prices across the country through Ops Pantau 2022 to ensure consumers can buy groceries. and basic necessities at reasonable prices.
“The inspections within the framework of Ops Pantau 2022, among others, focus on the monitoring of several issues such as the supply and price of goods, the sale at low prices, weighing instruments, the sale of goods counterfeit or pirated products, the implementation of the holiday season maximum price program, halal and compliance with the standard. operating procedures (SOPs) under the Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Act of 1988 (Act 342).
“Based on the statistics of Ops Pantau 2022 implemented for two days starting last Sunday, 7,106 premises were inspected nationwide and 17 cases out of the total were guilty of various offenses with a compound value of RM4,200. Among the infractions were price tags,” he said.
Nanta, meanwhile, said most commodity prices were controlled by the government through Keluarga Malaysia’s price cap program and there was no compelling reason for traders, including in Ramadan bazaars, to raise the price of the food they were selling.
He said commodity prices included chicken, eggs, pure palm oil, general purpose wheat flour, sugar, liquefied petroleum gas for cooking, RON95 gasoline and diesel. For transport.
Asked about the action of traders in Johor and Perlis who sold chicken above the price cap, Nanta said the action was clearly an infringement.
“Putting the price above the ceiling price by just one sen is still a breach and selling more than RM10 per kg is a big breach. We have set maximum price restrictions at different levels such as farms, wholesale and retail. Every level has a margin (together),” he said.
Earlier, media reported that there were traders in Johor who were selling chicken at RM9.50 to RM10 per kg, exceeding the ceiling price of RM8.90 per kg set by the government. — Bernama
