'Govt should reduce price of raw food materials, not call for restaurant boycott'

 

The government's call for consumers to avoid food outlets that charge high prices was irresponsible, said former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Taking a dig at Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli, the Bera MP said the government should make efforts to help food operators get raw materials cheaper so they can in turn reduce the prices of their products, instead of punishing them.

"Today I saw in media reports that the people should boycott food outlets if they charge high prices. If the costs for raw materials like chicken and vegetables are high, then the restaurant operators would have to also increase their prices.

"If we were to boycott them, it would only make things harder for the businesses instead of helping them.

"What the government should do is to ensure that the price of raw materials is reduced, this would help the food outlets to sell their food cheaper and the rakyat would get to buy at lower prices,” Ismail Sabri said.

"The government should think about this, not making statements which are akin to washing their hands (from the problem) and want to punish restaurateurs," he added.

However, while the former premier called on the government to reduce the price of raw materials, Rafizi in his criticism of certain food stalls and restaurant operators yesterday said these businesses had refused to lower prices despite the falling cost of raw ingredients.

He said consumers should be more proactive in response to changes in the prices of goods by avoiding restaurants and other food outlets that offer food and beverages at unreasonable prices. - Mkini