Jegan and KPDN officers checking the price of coconuts during an inspection at a sundry shop holding a Rahmah sale in George Town, Penang. — Photos: LIM BENG TATT/The Star
CHECKS by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) in Penang continue to intensify during the festive season to ensure prices remain under control.
Its state director S. Jegan said with Chinese New Year approaching, it was essential to monitor prices.
“We are monitoring through continuous presence of uniformed enforcement personnel on the field.
“Plainclothes personnel are also around to conduct checks to ensure consumers’ interest is always protected,” he told a press conference after inspecting a sundry shop and checking on the Rahmah sale programme along Lebuh Chulia.
He said the inspection was carried out following a complaint from the Penang Hindu Association on the alleged price increase involving 15 types of essential food items during Thaipusam and Chinese New Year.
“We visited various hotspots to carry out inspections and enforcement to ensure traders’ compliance with the legislation.
Customers shopping at the Rahmah sale at a sundry shop along Lebuh Chulia, in George Town, Penang.
“Our price monitoring officers were tasked with collecting and recording information on the prices of essential goods at the premises involved.
“We collect data during visits to over 45 public markets, 13 hypermarkets and 18 supermarkets,” he said.
Jegan urged the public to channel all complaints directly to the ministry rather than via statements or news reports.
“We encourage the public to compare prices and make use of the PriceCatcher app which is our official platform, to pay less for daily essentials.
“It allows users to compare prices of daily necessities at various business premises.
“This application displays price information for over 400 items collected by our price monitoring officers nationwide on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
“Through this app, users can check the latest prices based on location, identify premises that offer lower prices and plan their spending wisely,” he said.
So far, he said through enforcement actions in Penang from Jan 1 to 29 this year, a total of 6,384 premises were screened to ensure that prices remained controlled, supplies were sufficient and there were no unreasonable price increases.
On Rahmah sales, he said these continued in various strategic locations.
“This year, Rahmah sales are set to be implemented 120 times a month, but as of January this year alone, it was carried out in 202 locations throughout the state.
“Last year more than 2,000 programmes were implemented involving 40 state constituencies in Penang,” he said.
