JOHOR BARU: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) has urged the public to be its eyes and ears in reporting bottled cooking oil shortages in their areas.
Its Johor director Lilis Saslinda Pornomo said that this collaboration is crucial to ensure the continuous supply of cooking oil, especially as the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive season approaches.
"We have held meetings with three leading cooking oil refineries in Johor and supermarket chains to discuss issues related to the supply of cooking oil.
"We will continue to monitor the situation from time to time and urge the public to report to us immediately if they encounter this problem," she told reporters after visiting the Rahmah Ramadan bazaar and MySaveFood programme on Wednesday (March 12).
She attributed the shortage of bottled cooking oil to the increase in global crude palm oil prices, coupled with the government's price ceiling policy, which has made it difficult for the companies to cover operational costs.
"Therefore, the government is considering providing special incentives to help companies increase production and supply of cooking oil in the market.
"With the intervention measures implemented, Johor KPDN is confident that the cooking oil supply in the state will be sufficient leading up to and after the Aidilfitri festive season," she added.
Meanwhile, she said that despite not receiving any complaints regarding overpriced food at Ramadan bazaars in the state, Johor KPDN will continue to conduct regular inspections to ensure compliance.
On Saturday, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said that the government's immediate intervention is crucial to ensure a sufficient bottled cooking palm oil supply over the next three months. - Bernama
