KUALA LUMPUR: Traders have been reminded to keep to the festive season price control for the eight items announced on Monday as enforcement officers step up their monitoring these seven days, says Fuziah Salleh.
The Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister said over 2,200 enforcement officers and 900 price monitoring officers from the ministry are being deployed to monitor the prices of the listed items at all public markets, farmers’ markets and retail outlets nationwide.
The maximum price control scheme for this year's Deepavali, which will be celebrated on Sunday (Nov 12), runs from Thursday (Nov 9) to Nov 15.
The eight items announced on Monday (Nov 6) are staple ingredients in Indian cuisine such as imported big red onions, small red onions from India, red chilies, imported lamb meat with bones, Australian dhal beans, grated coconut (retail level only), coconut (wholesale level only) and tomatoes.
During this period, the items under the scheme will be labelled with a pink price tag to help consumers identify them.
Fuziah said that under the scheme, enforced through the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, those found to be selling the listed items above the controlled prices can face up to RM500,000 in fines.
“The implementation period of this scheme is aimed at helping to stabilise prices for both consumers or retailers in the current situation.
“It is also to ensure Malaysians are able to celebrate Deepavali with some financial ease,” she said during the scheme’s launch at Lulu Hypermarket here on Thursday (Nov 9).
She noted that the price limit had been determined after thorough discussions with the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, government agencies and industry players.
The maximum prices of the items for this Deepavali season can be viewed on the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry website at www.kpdn.gov.my.
Consumers with complaints are encouraged to contact the ministry via WhatsApp at 019-279 4317/019-848 8000; its portal at http://eaduan.kpdn.gov.my; call centre at 1-800-866-800; by email to e-aduan@kpdn.gov.my; its mobile app; or its enforcement operations room at 03-8882 608.
