X’mas maximum price scheme from Thursday
Published on: Tuesday, December 21, 2021
By: Bernama
KUCHING: The Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) will be implementing the Christmas Festive Season Maximum Price Control Scheme (SHMPP) from Thursday until Dec 31.Its Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the scheme would involve eight types of food items comprising imported turkey, live old chicken (Sarawak only) and chicken wings (Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan only), imported boned lamb, green capsicums, live pigs (control at farm level only), hog maw (Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan only), pork and lard (Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan only).
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“KPDNHEP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) will cooperate by carrying out monitoring to ensure the supply of such goods are sufficient and at stable market prices,” he said in a media conference here.
He said more than 2,200 Enforcement Command Centre (ECC) officers and more than 1,000 price monitoring officers (PPH) would be mobilised nationwide to monitor the 2021 Christmas SHMPP in urban and rural areas.
“Traders found committing offences would face action under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, which provides for compounds of up to RM50,000 or fines up to RM100,000 or jail up to three years or both,” he said.
Nanta said companies could face fines up to RM500,000 or compounds up to RM250,000.
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Apart from 2021 Christmas SHMPP, he said the Malaysian Family Maximum Price Scheme (SHMKM) is being implemented until Dec 31 involving 12 types of goods.
He said SHMKM covered items such as chicken, eggs and vegetables apart from ensuring adequate supply of the 12 types of goods.
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Meanwhile, Nanta said the Ministry does not intend to change the maximum retail price of Covid-19 self-test kits for the time being.
He said although the maximum price of the kit had been set at RM19.90 per unit, some retailers were already selling them at a cheaper price.
“We don’t need to change (the maximum price), now the price has reduced a lot, some (retailers) are selling for slightly more than RM4 per unit, some for RM4.60 per unit and there also retailers selling at RM4.90 per unit,” he said.
He said the price dropped automatically due to competition after the Ministry approved more brands of the test kit to enter the market in the market.
Nanta said the test kit had been declared as a controlled item effective last Dec 1 and it would be an offence to hoard the product.
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