BUKIT MERTAJAM, Dec 31 — Consumers will be able to purchase four basic food items – chicken, eggs, sawi (choy sum) and kacang panjang (long beans) – at a lower price starting tomorrow until Feb 4.

Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) enforcement director, Azman Adam said these four basic food items were involved in the calibration of the prices as a measure to stabilise the price of goods under the Malaysian Family Maximum Price Scheme (SHMKM).

“The new prices of these four items are involved in the price adjustment under the SHMKM, by taking into account the situation and locality.

“For example, the chicken price will be reduced from RM9.30 to RM9.10. Similarly, the other three food items, including two types of vegetables, the prices will drop between five and 10 per cent,” he said when met after Ops Back to School (BTS) and Festive Season Maximum Price Control Scheme (SHMMP) walkabout at Mydin Supermarket here, today.

Azman said a total of 25,897 business premises nationwide were inspected under SHMKM and of that number, actions taken against 85 cases, involved a compound worth RM20,000, as of yesterday.

“Meanwhile, under the SHMMP in conjunction with the Christmas celebration, from Dec 23 until today, we inspected 7,178 premises and no action was recorded,” he said.

He said under the BTS, inspections and monitoring were focused on ensuring that traders did not increase the price of school supplies arbitrarily and complied with the price control rules set.

“The ongoing operation, from Dec 13 until March 20 next year, involves nine types of school necessities consisting of school uniforms, school bags, school shoes and learning equipment. Thus far, we have inspected 437 premises involving 1,858 items,” he said.

In the meantime, based on KPDNHEP’s monitoring, the price of goods in the flood-hit states is stable and no complaints of price increase received thus far. However, there was a temporary shortage in supply due to logistics issues, he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency