Sarawak to give electricity tariff discount for food producers, retailers

 

Abang Johari Openg says coffee shop operators, restaurateurs and other food and beverage industry players will be among those who will benefit from the proposal.

KUCHING: The Sarawak government will introduce a discount on electricity tariff for food producers and retailers in the state in order to reduce their business costs and eventually mitigate the market prices of foodstuff.

Without specifying the discount rate, Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg said today coffee shop operators, restaurateurs and other food and beverage industry players would be among those who would benefit from the proposal.

“(The) Sarawak government will intervene within our powers and means to cushion the impact of the rising cost of living, especially on food prices,” he said in the state assembly.

He said the state Cabinet would also negotiate with the manufacturer of cylinders used for storing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to lower the cylinder price, which would eventually lead to lowering the retail price of LPG.

“We are able to control distribution of gas, including LPG, under the Distribution of Gas Ordinance. LPG is a controlled item and the price is fixed for the whole of Malaysia under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (with) its household price being subsidised up to 50% by the federal government,” he said.

Abang Johari said the Sarawak government took note of the rising prices of food which affected the cost of living, adding that this was due to current geopolitical tensions that led to imported inflation, while the ringgit’s performance against the US dollar had declined 0.7% in the first quarter of the year.

“Economies around the world have experienced immense stress for the past two years. The Covid-19 pandemic took the world by surprise and affected the healthcare system, livelihoods of the people and brought many economies into recession. We know, Sarawak shared the same experience,” he said.

He said in view of this, the Sarawak government had prepared its Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) to address reforms in the state’s economy as Sarawak moved towards becoming a high-income and developed state by 2030.

Under the strategy, he said, Sarawak’s economy was targeted to grow at an average of 6% to 8% per annum if it no longer needed to depend on primary commodities as its main revenue source.

“I am confident we will be able to take this leap of faith in achieving the target and Sarawak’s aspirations through a new economic model,” he added. - FMT