Domestic Trade Minister appeals to traders not to raise prices of goods at will

KLANG: The Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi (pic) has made an appeal to traders not to raise prices of goods at will ahead of the country’s transition into the endemic phase starting April 1, and the implementation of the new minimum wage of RM1,500 from May 1.

He said the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) would do its best to carry out monitoring activities and implement continuous enforcement to check traders from raising prices.

"We will do our best, but we cannot guarantee, that is why in the early stages we have been carrying out advocacy work and we appeal to traders not to deliberately increase prices following the increase in the minimum wage and the reopening of the country’s borders because economic activities will be more vibrant by then,” he said.

At the same time, Nanta warned traders if they were found to have increased prices, legal action, existing regulations and compounds would be imposed on them.

"We will carry out advocacy work to raise awareness among consumers so that they are aware of the current situation and we also implement preventive measures by prohibiting and ensuring that traders do not commit unethical actions such as raising prices and so on,” he said at a press conference here on Thursday (March 24).

Earlier, Nanta witnessed the handing over of medical equipment namely two units of N15 patient monitors worth RM100,000 donated by the Companies Commission of Malaysia to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang.

On the media report over the discovery made by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) involving 63 companies that were found to have been misappropriating cooking oil subsidies involving unpaid taxes amounting to RM200mil, Nanta said the ministry was aware of such activities, adding that KPDNHEP had been monitoring, tracking and investigating these cases.

"I understand that the (KPDNHEP) enforcement team has been in touch with the IRB in this matter and will take appropriate measures," he said. - Bernama