According to the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Ministry, prices of 99 items in Peninsular Malaysia, 145 items in Sabah and 102 items in Sarawak have been reduced upon the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST).
Datuk Alias Ahmad, secretary-general of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Ministry, said the figures were based on an analysis carried out by the National Price Council in the third week of March and April at markets, supermarkets and retail stores, according to parliamentary constituencies nationwide.
Goods which saw a price reduction include wet, dry, packages/canned/boxed food and also baby items, he added.
“Not all prices of goods will go up after the implementation of GST, this is the evidence based on a survey done by 1,250 price monitoring officers nationwide.
“It cannot be denied there are products which have increased in price and it cannot be avoided due to factors such as the rise in exchange rates, prices of goods in the country of origin and climate changes,” he said at a press conference in Putrajaya today.
Some of the goods that have seen a price reduction in Peninsular Malaysia are Dumex Dupro, Nestle Wheat and Honey (tin), large white shrimp (imported), ladies’ fingers and super rice.
Over at East Malaysia, residents of Sabah get to enjoy cheaper goods such as Drinho Soya Bean (box), large onions imported from India, cabbage, Rambutan brand rice and date spices, while in Sarawak, goods such as Boh tea (bags and powder), carrots, Kimball chilli sauce and Sunkist oranges also saw a price reduction.
Since April 1 until today, Alias noted that 182,059 premises were inspected nationwide, with 510 offenders prosecuted.
He said a total of 729 notices under Section 21 of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 had been issued until today.
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