COMMON PRICES NOT POSSIBLE, SAYS MINISTRY?

Common prices not possible, says ministry

March 23, 2011, KOTA KINABALU: An official of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism here says that the disparity of prices for foodstuffs between those in Sabah and other parts of the country could not be avoided.

“It is not possible to expect prices of all foodstuffs, except controlled items, to be the same throughout Malaysia,” Haji Jaafar Walad, the ministry’s director in Sabah, said yesterday.

He made this clarification when asked to comment on a statement by the Tawau Chinese Chamber of Commerce as reported by the Borneo Post yesterday urging the Government to “take speedy steps to address the disparity in the prices of goods between East Malaysia and Peninsular Malaysia”.

The chamber’s president, Datuk Yap Yiw Sin, had said that the people in Sabah “have been suffering the burden of higher prices of imported goods, including foodstuffs, for a long time mainly due to the high shipping charges and related costs”.

Jaafar pointed out that such disparity in prices of food items also differ from state to state in Peninsular Malaysia, saying that prices in Kedah, for instance, are different from those in Kuala Lumpur.

He also dispelled the perception that prices of consumer goods in Sabah are higher than other parts of the country.

“The perception that all food items in Sabah are higher than Kuala Lumpur is not true. Out of a list of 55 items, only 26 are found to be higher,” he said.

Giving examples of foodstuffs prices in and around Kota Kinabalu as compared with the Cheras area in the nation’s capital, he said 10 grade ‘B’ eggs here cost RM3.40 as compared with RM3.50 in KL and local beef is sold at RM18 per kg as compared with RM20 there. (?)

At the same time, long beans in Kota Kinabalu are going at RM3.50 per kg as compared with RM4.40 at Cheras and the price of a packet of nasi lemak here is at RM1.50 each whilst that at Cheras is RM2.

According to the price list dated January 31, 2011 provided by the ministry yesterday, the prices of foodstuffs here that are higher than those at Cheras include chicken rice, teh tarik, roti canai kosong and bee hoon soup.

Other items that cost more here than those at Cheras are, ikan bawal hitam, grade ‘B’ ikan bilis, tomatoes, red lobak, kailan green vegetables and santan segar.

Jaafar disclosed here yesterday that in its efforts to control profiteering that could be a cause for high prices of certain foodstuffs and other consumer goods, the ministry is now planning to implement the Anti-Profiteering Act that is applicable also to the state of Sabah.

He further pointed out that among the factors that cause the disparity of prices in various parts of the country are shipping, transportation and handling costs.

Even the fixed prices for government-controlled essential items like rice, sugar, flour and cooking oil could be different from one area to another due to these factors.

For instance, in the case of a controlled item like sugar, price fixed differ from place to place in the state: at RM2.20 per kg for Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Tawau and Sandakan; RM2.25 for Papar, Kinabatangan, Beluran, Telupid and Tongod; and RM2.35 at Pitas and Nabawan.

Jaafar said the ministry had started a nationwide public awareness campaign, entitled ‘Price & Supply Scenario’, on matters related to prices and supply of consumer items.

He explained that it is important that the public get to know and understand the many aspects of prices and the current supply situation related to certain food items that change from time to time.

Among the places where such awareness programme has been conducted in Sabah in the past month include Beaufort and Keningau.