Source: http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=24514
Thursday, September 6th, 2007
Imported items to cost more this Raya
Price increase due to higher production cost although similar products produced locally strictly controlled: Minister
PUTRAJAYA: The prices of several items will be higher this Hari Raya Puasa and Deepavali.
The reason being supply has been short and there has been a general increase in the cost of production and transportation, said Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Shafie Afdal.
The items affected are live chicken, super grade chicken, standard grade chicken and beef, all of which are imported from India.
According to Shafie, his ministry cannot keep the prices of these items down like it used to during similar celebrations last year.
He said on the whole, about 560 items would be priced higher and these represented 26.33 per cent of all controlled items.
He said the prices of another 1,072 items or 50.40 per cent would remain unchanged while 495 items or 23.27 per cent would be labelled lower than their previous labels.
One item whose price would not change is round cabbage, imported mutton with bone and grades A, B and C eggs while those priced lower would be tomato, small shallot from India and red chilli.
Shafie yesterday also announced price control over several locally produced goods, and these are chicken, beef, mutton eggs, chilli, grated coconut and pomfret (ikan kembung.
He said these controlled prices came under the Hari Raya and Deepavali Celebrations Price Control Scheme and would be in force from Sept 13 to Oct 20.
Shafie said the ministry would continue to monitor prices of goods in the interest of consumers.
He said consumers with complaints about indiscriminate hiking of prices can reach the ministry at it website e-aduan.kpdnhep.gov.my, or SMS 32255 or call 1-800-886-800.
Bernama