KUCHING, Aug 5: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) will not hesitate to enforce the maximum retail price for pure palm oil packaged in bottles under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Maximum Pricing for Cooking Oil) Order 2021.
KPDNHEP in a statement today, said the enforcement of the maximum retail price aims to alleviate the cost of living and at the same time address price hikes for 1kg to 5kg-bottled pure palm cooking oil.
“Inspections on pure palm cooking oil packaged in bottles have been implemented starting Aug 1, 2021 nationwide.
“The purpose of the inspection and monitoring is to ensure that traders are complying with the Price Control (Maximum Pricing) Order (No. 6) 2021, and the inspection focuses on pure palm cooking oil packaged in 1kg, 2kg, 3kg, and 5kg bottles at the retail level,” it said.
According to KPDNHEP, as of Aug 4, a total of 981 inspections have been conducted throughout the country and it was found that a total of 563 premises are selling the bottled pure palm cooking oil below the maximum price set.
“However, for the first inspection, a total of 73 traders, who were found to have failed to change their price in accordance with the order, were issued with a warning,” it added.
Meanwhile, KPDNHEP also welcomes any traders to sell the bottled pure palm cooking oil at a lower price than the maximum price set.
The ministry explained, the concept of enforcing the maximum price is a benchmark or ceiling price for traders to not sell above the maximum price, which is in line with the government’s intention to control the uncontrolled price increases situation for certain necessities.
“Consumers can distinguish the pure palm cooking oil from the mixture by referring to the label marked on the bottle of palm cooking oil, which is “pure cooking oil” or “palm cooking oil” or “vegetable oil”, as well as “refined palm oil” labels.
“For the mixed palm cooking oil, it is labeled as “mixed cooking oil” or “compound cooking oil”,” the ministry said.
In the same statement, KPDNHEP stressed that they are looking seriously into traders’ compliance with the Price Control (Maximum Pricing) Order (No. 6) 2021 with regards to bottled pure palm cooking oil.
“A more deterrent inspection approach will be implemented by KPDNHEP enforcement officers under the Price Control and Anti Profiting Act 2011.
“Any individual will be penalised by the court up to RM100,000 or imprisonment not more than three years or both, while for companies, they can be fined up to RM500,000 or compounded up RM250,000,” it said.
KPDNHEP also encouraged consumers to channel any information related to violations of law under its jurisdiction, particularly involving the retail price of pure palm cooking oil in the market.
The information may be channelled through KPDNHEP’s portal e-aduan.kpdnhep, call centre at 1-800-886-800, email via e-aduan@kpdnhep.gov.my, Ez ADU KPDNHEP, KPDNHEP Enforcement Command Centre (ECC) at 03-8882 6088/6245 or WhatsApp via 019-279 4317. — DayakDaily
