KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — A committee comprising six Cabinet ministers will meet next month to discuss how to free rice imports from Bernas’ monopoly, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub said today.
He said a meeting slated for July 17 headed by Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali would see them work to formulate a new model for the rice import industry.
Salahuddin explained that the finance, health, international trade, and transport ministers made up the rest of the select committee.
“Within a timeframe that we will set, the committee will be responsible for completing and presenting a model to the Cabinet,” he said.
“When Bernas’ monopoly has been broken, this model will be used to replace what Bernas is today,” he said.
He said the decision for the inter-ministry meeting was made by the Economic Affairs Ministry following a meeting with their minister and top officials.
This follows Salahuddin’s previous statements condemning the monopoly held by Bernas on the rice import industry, saying that ceasing their stranglehold would open up the local rice market.
He had said this would then further encourage healthy competition among companies and players in the local rice industry.
