Published on: Thursday, February 07, 2013 |
Kota Kinabalu: The Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry Sabah branch, will only study the impact of the minimum wage policy on the prices of goods three to six months after its implementation.
Its director Noor Alam Khan said it is too early to see the direct impact of the new policy on the prices when it was just enforced early this year.
"I understand that the minimum wage policy of RM800 in Sabah would pose an effect on the prices of goods as the traders and employers would pass the costs to consumers.
"However, the ministry will make efforts to check on the prices and do the assessment after three to six months," he said when commenting on whether the Ministry would conduct any studies and survey on prices of goods in Sabah following the implementation of the minimum wage policy.
Noor Alam said this to reporters after the launching of 13 controlled items placed under the Price Control Scheme for the Chinese New Year (CNY) 2013 effective on Feb 6 to 17 by visiting the Central Market here on Wednesday.
Political Secretary to the Ministry of Community Development and Consumer Affairs, Jornah Mozihim represented the Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun in the event.
Together with Jornah, Noor Alam and his officials visited the wet market and stalls in the Central Market to check on the prices of the 13 controlled items based on the festive season Price Control Scheme.
Noor Alam also assured the public particularly the Chinese communities on ample supply of the essential items for the coming CNY celebration.
"The traders are required to sell the 13 items that must be tagged in pink for buyers to differentiate the controlled items from other goods and they are advised not to take advantage by raising the prices of other goods, indiscriminately, during this festive season.
"Consumers can contact our toll free line at 1-800-886-800 or email the complaints to e-aduan@kpdnkk.gov.my if they know of any trader raising prices of items, drastically or indiscriminately, or hoarding the goods or file the complaints to the ministry's office," he said.
He said the controlled items were live chicken, standard chicken, super chicken, chicken eggs, imported round cabbage (from Indonesia and China), garlic, pomfret, white shrimp, live pig (at farm level), pig intestine, pork and lard.
The ceiling retail prices of live chicken is RM6.60 per kg, standard chicken at RM9.60 per kg, super chicken at RM9.80 per kg, grade A chicken egg at 40 sen, grade B chicken egg at 39 sen, grade C chicken egg at 38 sen, imported round cabbage at RM3.50 per kg, garlic from China at RM7.50 per kg, pomfret fish at RM24 per kg, white shrimp at RM20 per kg, pig intestine at RM20 per kg and pork and lard at RM18 per kg.
Noor Alam also encouraged consumers to become members of the 'Consumer Squad' (Skuad Pengguna) by registering themselves through its website at www.pengguna.com/SP and to print a slip of the registration and go to Bank Rakyat to get the card.
Apart from getting list of prices of goods particularly the essential ones, he said the members get to enjoy discounts from two up to 20 per cent when purchasing goods at 50 outlets recognised by the Ministry.
