Domestic Trade Ministry to prioritise ensuring prices of goods controlled during festive seasons, says Fuziah

KUALA LUMPUR: Guaranteeing the public that the prices of goods during festivities will be under control is among the priorities of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry now.

Deputy Domestic Trade Minister Fuziah Salleh said this was one of the issues discussed with Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub on Monday (Dec 12).

"We discussed ways how to face the coming festivities like Christmas followed by the Chinese New Year and later the month of Ramadan. We want to resolve how we can ensure that prices of goods and items can be controlled,” she said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV’s "Malaysia Petang Ini" programme on Monday.

She said they also discussed steps to empower the people so that they can be the eyes and ears of the ministry in solving people's issues such as the cost of living.

"We have enforcement but it helps if the public becomes the eyes and the ears of the ministry which can help control what is happening in our surroundings,” she said.

On the move to import eggs, Fuziah said it was not a long-term solution to the problem since the shortage of eggs was not caused by the absence of eggs but an issue related to the supply chain.

"When the cost of chicken feed is high, it will cause the cost of rearing chicken to be high which means the chicken will be introduced into the market earlier and if we want to restore (the supply) of eggs in the market it will take months. But if we control the price of chicken feed, the issue of egg supply can be resolved within five to six months.

"It's all about policy. So we must tread carefully and study the matter thoroughly. We need to ensure the long-term effects of the decision do not cause an increase in inflation and must benefit the people,” she said.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu was reported to have said that eggs will be imported from several source countries already identified to ensure that there would no shortage of eggs and the welfare of the public is looked after.

Mohamad also said the need to import eggs from an outside source will be re-studied once the egg supply situation returns to normal. - Bernama