Kuala lumpur: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) is set to implement three strategic approaches to ensure the smooth execution of Op Kesan 4.0, which coincides with the review of the Sales Tax and the expanded scope of the Service Tax starting tomorrow.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the minister, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, detailed the strategies, which include the collection of data on prices and service charges by the ministry's price monitoring officers. This data will serve as a basis for comparing prices and service charges before and after the Sales and Service Tax (SST) rate review.

Armizan emphasized at a media conference following a session with small and micro traders in Sabah that the standard operating procedure for managing complaints regarding charges, prices, and supplies is crucial for achieving the operation's objectives. He warned that the ministry would impose strict penalties on traders who indiscriminately raise prices, with fines reaching up to RM100,000 or three years' imprisonment, or both for individuals, and fines of RM500,000 for companies.

Op Kesan 4.0 falls under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 and aims to prevent traders from exploiting the situation by unreasonably raising prices of items and services, which would be in violation of the Act. The enforcement will cover goods and services affected by the SST rate review, along with the monitoring of essential goods not included in the review.