KENINGAU: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) enforcement division Keningau branch has investigated 14 cases and confiscated foods valued at RM53,021 following inspections on business premises, including the Ramadan Bazaar.
The monitoring carried out since January this year, 496 of those were rural premises in Nabawan, Tambunan and Tenom.
Chief Enforcement Officer of KPDN Keningau branch, Awang Azri Biahi said KPDN had also imposed a compound of RM2,000 on traders for failing to comply with the legislation under the Ministry’s Act.
He said KPDN also issued notices through Ops Kesan 2024 against traders who were found to have changed the selling price.
“Traders found to have committed the offence must respond to the notice within the specified period why the price change was made.
“Inspections and monitoring will continue to be carried out more frequently on prices of items during the Ramadan and Aidilfitri seasons such as sugar, cooking oil, wheat flour, rice, wet goods, chicken, chicken eggs and items for making cakes.
“This is to ensure that the items have price tags, controlled items must be sold according to gazetted prices to prevent profiteering,” Awang Azri said.
He said during inspection and monitoring period, KPDN also received 25 complaints from consumers and six of them were related to issue of price non-compliance.
He said KPDN would increase enforcement throughout Ramadan and ahead of Hari Raya Aidlfitri through Ops Pantau and Ops Kesan 2024.
“Ops Kesan 2024 has been carried out since last March 1 to ensure that traders do not take advantage of profiteering or make price changes following the increase in the Service Tax rate from six to eight per cent,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said Ops Pantau ensures that consumers are in a comfortable environment and could easily obtain food supplies and daily necessities at reasonable prices during Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidil Fitri.
