B - Cost of Living B02. PRICE STABILITY

B02-01: Stabilise the prices of essential items and to control the factors that lead to price increases

Pakatan Harapan May 10, 2018
In progress
Jun 2018

Agriculture Ministry to create mechanism to maintain price of essential goods

New Strait Times June 15, 2018

The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry will create a mechanism to maintain the price of essential goods and manage the systematic balance between supply and demand. Minister Salahuddin Ayub said the mechanism would ensure supply was adequate and prices of goods remained affordable, while creating a competitive market for essential goods. “It will ensure the prices of essential goods remain reasonable and affordable to the people after the Sales and Services Tax (SST) comes into effect in September,” he told reporters at Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s open house at Seri Perdana here today. Apart from that, Salahuddin said the price of essential goods ahead of Adilfitri had declined compared to last year. “For example, the price of chicken dropped to RM5 to RM6 (per kilo) compared to about RM7 last year, while vegetables are also down 50 per cent compared to last year's prices. “The price of meat also dropped between 30 and 50 per cent from last year,” he said. Meanwhile, on the termination of the monopoly of Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas), Salahuddin said a new model report would be completed within a month. “I have assigned the National Agricultural Advisory Council, experts and ministry officials as well as an independent body to submit several proposals. “All the reports will be scrutinised for the implementation of a new model before it is tabled to the Cabinet,” he added. The ministry wants the Bernas monopoly to be terminated to form a more open market for paddy and rice yields as well as to create healthy competition among companies involved in the industry. -- BERNAMA

Jun 2018

Cheaper rice once termination of monopoly policy fully enforced – Chong

Borneo Post June 10, 2018

Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen says consumers will enjoy cheaper rice once the termination of monopoly policy on importation of rice is completely enforced. At a news conference here today, he said he had been in touch with the federal minister in charge of the matter. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub recently announced that the monopoly to import rice by Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) has been terminated as per the Cabinet decision. Pursuant to this, Salahuddin said a working paper on breaking up the monopoly with feedback from the ministry and other stakeholders would be drafted before being submitted to the government for further action. Under the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government, Chong said Bernas Corporation monopolised the importation of rice, an act which had marked up the selling price of both fragrant and white rice. Chong, who is Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said Bernas Corporation registered some RM104 million of gross profit a year in Sarawak alone because of the monopoly policy while consumers had to fork out more for the daily need. “Sarawakians are paying for the system that has been implemented by the previous BN government. We the consumers pay RM104 million a year for the monopoly system. “By doing away with this monopoly system, consumers will enjoy cheaper rice,” he added. With him at the press conference were Parti Amanah Negara Sarawak chairman Mohamad Fidzuan Zaidi and Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii.