KUCHING: The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry has given RM147 million in petrol subsidy.
Its deputy minister Chong Chieng Jen said the subsidy is for the price control programme aimed at standardising prices of goods, especially essentials, in rural Sarawak with prices in the urban centres.
“Marking up prices of essentials such as rice, oil and sugar were widespread in the rural areas due to transportation cost.
“However, this has been resolved by our ministry with an allocation of RM147 million to subsidise the cost of transportation of goods to the rural areas.
“The price control programmes started since the beginning of this month,” said the state Pakatan Harapan chairman.
“More than 90 per cent of the allocation will be used in Sabah and Sarawak, while Sarawak alone will get RM80 million,” Chong told reporters during a press conference held at the Onn Café here, yesterday.
Asked what the ministry would do if businesses in the rural areas do not bring prices down despite the subsidy, Chong said, “For now we have more than a thousand enforcement officers who are monitoring prices of essentials such as rice, flour, sugar, oil, diesel and RON95.
Chong further said the ministry is also controlling prices during the festive season.
He said the control period may be up to 30 days and the list of items longer because Gawai and Hari Raya Aidilfitri come quite close to each other.
Also present at the press conference was Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong.
