The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry will immediately carry out three steps to monitor chicken prices following the discontinuation of subsidies and price controls yesterday.
Its Acting Minister Armizan Mohd Ali said the first step was to continue monitoring and enforcement by using the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, as well as the Competition Act 2010 if necessary.
“The second step is to implement targeted mitigation according to the area as there are certain locations that have issues,” he said at a press conference after launching the special discount card for Menu Rahmah today.
In addition, Armizan said his ministry will continue with intervention programmes - particularly in Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan and the peninsula - where there is an issue with chicken sold above RM9.40 per kilogramme.
The minister said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has also ordered more Rahmah Sales and Madani Agro Sales to be held to ensure the people have access to reasonably priced chicken.
Armizan said, at the same time, he would continue field activities with Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh and the ministry’s secretary-general Mohd Sayuthi Bakar to ensure there is no leakage.
Apart from that, he said the ministry is also working with the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to identify if there are traders selling chicken at high prices including whether it is due to a lack of supply or other factors.
“Our enforcement officers will also come down and ask what the problems and issues are, how much they cost, and the profit margin.
“If we see that the (sales price) is too high which is unreasonable, we may be able to advise and take legal action based on existing provisions,” he said.
Based on inspections carried out yesterday, he said 90 percent of the monitored areas sell chicken below RM9.40 per kilogramme.
On Oct 30, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu announced the government has agreed that subsidies and price controls for chicken will be fully terminated, while subsidies and price controls for grade A, B, and C eggs will remain according to the existing mechanism.
Mohamad said the rationale for ending broad subsidies for chicken is to reduce subsidy leakage, which foreigners and high-income groups have also enjoyed.
He also advised consumers not to resort to panic buying during the coming days, as the supply of chicken is guaranteed to be sufficient.
- Bernama
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