Medicine prices must be prominent so people know what they can afford, says PM

PETALING JAYA: Prices of medicine must be more transparent so the people know what they can afford, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Prime Minister said it is a priority of the unity government to ensure transparent selling of medicine with the display of price tags.

"The government is aware of the importance of the public having access to competitively-priced medicine so they are able to choose.

"The National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) Committee meeting today agreed that the matter must be further refined by the ministry before it can be finalised," he said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 3).

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Anwar also said the meeting also addressed the possibility of a sugar supply disruption if the government does not take any immediate action due to the increasing price of raw sugar on a global scale.

He said the matter will be presented to the Cabinet meeting in the near future.

"The meeting discussed the price controls for standard chicken and eggs that have been implemented since February last year.

"It is important for us to finalise the direction on the pricing of eggs and chicken to ensure the continuity of the supply chain," he said.

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To ensure an efficient distribution of rice to rural areas, Anwar said the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) and Farmers' Organisation Authority (LPP) have been instructed to be more proactive in distributing locally produced white rice.

The move was made following the intervention measures announced by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to ensure adequate supply of rice in the country.

Anwar also clarified the transaction fee for using the DuitNow quick-response (QR) code will be waived for small and medium enterprise (SME) businesses.

Bank Negara had previously emphasised that DuitNow QR remains an affordable and cost-effective payment method for SMEs.

"Following the matter, Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet) will allocate resources to help finance the costs incurred by payment service providers, especially non-bank providers that continue to offer full exemptions to micro and small businesses.

"Paynet will also ensure SMEs are exempted from the extra charge," he said.