Supply chain stability: Armizan and Dr Wee.
A RANGE of ongoing and long-term measures have been put in place to stabilise the country’s supply chain and curb price increases of essential goods following subsidy rationalisation, says Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister said maintaining supply chain stability is a shared responsibility among several ministries, including the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.
He said the ministry’s focus is on essential goods across all stages, covering production, distribution and retail, which fall under its purview through the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
“Among the current measures and interventions are the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on Price and Supply Stabilisation, and the implementation of price controls on essential goods during festive seasons.
“The ministry has also expanded public access to basic necessities through the Rahmah Madani sales programme and the essential goods distribution programme in rural areas,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.
Armizan was responding to Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (BN-Ayer Hitam), who sought details of the government’s long-term plans to stabilise the supply chain and curb price surges following subsidy rationalisation, as well as the effectiveness of enforcement in preventing traders from passing added costs to consumers.
Armizan said the government’s long-term strategies will be anchored under the 13th Malaysia Plan, such as the Strengthening the Food Supply Chain initiative.
Armizan added that a price and supply repository system is being developed to ensure transparency throughout the supply chain, enabling enforcement agencies to better detect and act against price manipulation.
He also said the Subsidised Diesel Control System and Subsidised Petrol Control System have been implemented to mitigate the risk of price hikes in goods and services following the targeted subsidy rollout.
Through these systems, the public transport sector and selected goods transport operators continue to receive subsidised diesel and petrol.
However, to prevent profiteering and unfair cost transfers to consumers, Armizan said enforcement under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 will be intensified.
He warned that any party found guilty of manipulating, misappropriating or smuggling RON95 petrol under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 will face stern action.
Armizan noted that transactions involving subsidised diesel and petrol are now recorded digitally by oil companies, petrol stations, businesses and individual users, allowing enforcement to be carried out more quickly and effectively through an integrated digital system.
