Govt to introduce moving ceiling price for food items, says PM

 

In order to reduce dependence on food imports, Putrajaya is discussing with state governments to enhance efforts to increase the area of land for agricultural use.

PETALING JAYA: The government will introduce a moving ceiling price for food items in a bid to strengthen food security, says Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

In a statement today, he said the ceiling price will be adjusted based on changes in the price of various inputs in the supply chain.

Ismail said the decision to introduce the moving ceiling price was reached at an Economic Action Council (EAC) meeting which he chaired today.

He added that the country is looking to expand its agro-food ecosystem with supply chains led by government-linked companies (GLCs), government-linked investment companies (GLICs) and government agencies.

“This is to ensure that there is guaranteed supply, and that the quality, quantity and production of goods is being carried out at an optimal level,” he said.

“For example, the supply and cost of chicken can be controlled if the relevant government agencies are involved in the livestock industry ecosystem, starting from supplying chicks, chicken feed, transportation, marketing and so on.”

Ismail added that the EAC decided that cooperation between the federal and state governments should be enhanced in an effort to increase the area of land for agricultural use, thus reducing dependence on food imports.

According to the statement, the EAC also agreed to focus on public-private partnerships that focus on modernisation efforts, adapt better technology to increase agricultural yields, and ensure that farmers can easily find a market for their produce.

Apart from food security, Ismail said the EAC also discussed measures to improve the ease of doing business in the country and steps to address the labour shortage in the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector.

Noting the serious shortage of skilled manpower in the E&E sector, Ismail said the government has agreed in principle to a training and placement programme for 1,000 engineers and 1,000 technicians.

He added that the EAC also agreed that foreign worker interviews should be conducted in various states instead of just at the human resources ministry’s one-stop centre (OSC) at Putrajaya, and that the recruitment mechanism for expatriates and other foreign workers should be improved. - FMT