CORONAVIRUS | Former domestic trade and consumer affairs minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has expressed disagreement with the increased ceiling price for three-ply face masks.
His successor, Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi had earlier today confirmed that the ceiling price for three-ply face masks has been raised to RM2 per piece, up from 80 sen or a 150 percent increase.
Saifuddin said that when he was still holding Alexander's portfolio late last month, there were meetings with producers and none of them asked for a price increase. He said all producers had agreed to ramp up production.
"On my last day of work at the ministry, I had met all face mask producers.
"They asked for to make it easier for them to get workers and also asked for permission to operate in three shifts without bureaucratic interference as well as to be given tax exemptions (for imports of material) from the Customs Department," wrote Saifuddin on his Facebook page.
Saifuddin claimed that the demands were brought to the cabinet and approved.
In view of this, Saifuddin, who is the Kulim-Bandar Bharu MP, implored the government review the decision to increase the ceiling price of face masks.
Alexander in a press conference today had said that the increase in ceiling price was meant to increase the supply of face masks in Malaysia,
He said a higher ceiling price would encourage businesses to import and produce the item.
Meanwhile, the price for one-ply earloop face masks, two-ply earloop face masks, and N95 face masks, remained the same.
The government has also completely banned the export of face masks to all other countries.
In a separate statement, the Pakatan Harapan secretariat also objected to the extent of the price hike.
It urged the Perikatan Nasional government to continue discussing with industry players to increase face mask production.
“Based on the previous discussion, we are confident four measures must be carried out as soon as possible to help the industry achieve that objective. They are - helping the industry overcome insufficient manpower; expediting the approval process for additional shifts from two to three; according certain exemptions or tax reliefs, in accordance to Customs Act 1967; and making it easier for the industry to obtain raw materials,” the statement read.
The secretariat also urged the government to hold government-to-government talk with Beijing to ease the process for Malaysian companies to import face masks. - Mkini
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