13 types of items under price control for CNY

PUTRAJAYA: Those celebrating Chinese New Year need not fear a spike in the prices of essential items during the festive season.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry has identified 13 types of goods under the price control scheme that will start from Jan 30 until Feb 8.

These include chicken, eggs, imported cabbage and pork meat.

“These items are in high demand during the festival, so there is a need to impose price control,” he said.

Some 1,400 enforcement officers nationwide would be deployed to conduct checks at marketplaces, Saifuddin added.

He said the maximum prices that could be set by distributors and retailers were determined by monitoring the trend in their prices last year and by taking into account the views of the Agriculture Department, Veterinary Services Department and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority.

“Notices under Section 21 of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 will be sent out to those who are found to have made a steep and apparent increase in prices,” Saifuddin told a press conference at the ministry’s headquarters near here on Thursday (Jan 24).

He added that profiteering traders could be fined by the courts, jailed or imposed a compound by the ministry.

Members of the public can lodge complaints of profiteering incidents to the ministry by calling the ministry's call centre at 1800-886-800 or WhatsApp at 019-279 4317.