New ceiling price for Covid-19 test kit to be known next month

PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): The new wholesale and retail ceiling price for the Covid-19 antigen rapid test kit (self-test) will be issued next month, says Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

In a statement here on Friday (Oct 8), he said the ministry was making an assessment of the matter and had received feedbacks from the industry on the price level that should be considered to ensure adequate and continuous supply of the product.

The government had previously set the maximum retail price for the Covid-19 antigen rapid test kit at RM19.90 per set, while the wholesale price was set at RM16 per set, effective Sept 5.

On Thursday (Oct 7), Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the ceiling price of the Covid-19 antigen rapid test kit would be lowered as an incentive for the public to make their own checks when inter-state travel was allowed.

According to Nanta, there were about six million Covid-19 antigen rapid test kits already in the market.

He said the ministry was also in discussions with the Health Ministry to enable more premises, like supermarket, to sell the test kit.

The sale of the COVID-19 antigen rapid test kit by supermarkets was expected to be implemented by the end of this month, he added. - Bernama