By Adrian Lim
KOTA SAMARAHAN, May 29: Enforcement officers of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) have been ‘turun padang’ to monitor and check on the conduct of wholesale and retail traders at the farmers’ market and grocery stores all the time.
Its Minister Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said KPDNHEP enforcement officers have been working hard and even went to Kapit Division to check on traders who try to flout the Season Maximum Price Control Scheme (SHMMP) during this festive season.
Nanta who is Kapit MP was rebutting the allegation by some quarters who said that KPDNHEP enforcement officers did not monitor the SHMMP during this festive period.
“Since the enforcement of the Season Maximum Price Control Scheme for festive season started on May 20 until yesterday (May 28), KPDNHEP enforcement officers have conducted 17,496 inspections throughout the country.
“KPDNHEP has also received 22 complaints with 48 cases for various offences.
“Those include 17 cases for selling goods above maximum prices and 31 cases for not displaying price tags,” he told reporters after a walkabout at the farmers’ market at Bandar Riyal, here today.
Nanta was accompanied by Kota Samarahan Municipal Council chairman Datuk Peter Minos and KPDNHEP enforcement officers during his walkabout this morning.
He said KPDNHEP officers had been going around the farmers’ market and grocery stores throughout the country to monitor and inspect traders to ensure that they comply with the SHMMP.
“The officers are mobile and always on the field to check on traders. This includes inspection carried out in Kapit as well,” he said.
Nanta added KPDNHEP has issued compound worth a total of RM118,000 to wholesale and retail traders who violated the SHMMP throughout Malaysia in the past nine days.
He also revealed that KPDNHEP officers have seized goods worth RM10,448.30 during the nine-day inspection period (May 20-28).
In the meantime, Nanta gathered that there was no wholesale and retail traders in Sarawak found to have violated the SHMMP as of today.
He asserted all the wholesale and retail traders in Sarawak have adhered to the guidelines for the SHMMP during the festive period and, to a certain extent, some were selling their goods for instance, chicken below the maximum price set by KPDNHEP.
In the meantime, Nanta noted wholesale and retail traders who failed to comply with the SHMMP were from Johor with 14 cases, Pahang with 12 cases followed by Kuala Lumpur with 10 cases, Kedah (seven), Perak (three), Selangor (one) and Perlis (one).
On another note, KPDNHEP in a statement said there were 19 new items added to the Season Maximum Price Control Scheme during the festive period.
The ministry noted that with 16 items and goods under the SHMMP, the total number of items was 35.
The ministry said 19 new goods and items were added to the SHMMP during this festive period following demands from consumers and those goods were top priorities during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) period.
In Sarawak, KPDNHEP said there were 11 new goods or items added to the SHMMP during the festive period.
Altogether, the ministry said the total number of goods for SHMMP during Hari Raya is 20 whilst for Hari Gawai is 22.
It revealed the enforcement period for the SHMMP started from May 20 to June 3.
KPDNHEP said action will be taken against traders who raised prices unreasonably high on controlled goods under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.-DayakDaily
