KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Reports of profiteering tripled following the government’s move to zero-rate the Goods and Services Tax (GST), said Domestric Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
In a report by The Star newspaper today, Saifuddin said the complaints went from 1,400 in May to 4,500 by the end of June.
“Half the complaints were on price hikes on food and drinks at restaurants,” he said at the Malaysia Retail Chain Association Council Installation Night 2018.
He also encouraged consumers to report any incidents of price irregularities to his ministry.
The minister said consumers were often best placed to detect such abuses as they were likely to be familiar with the prices.
Saifuddin added that his ministry was also monitoring the situation via its 1,044 officers who were deployed to keep track of prices.
“The best way will be to alert the ministry so that we can formulate strategic plans,” The Star quoted him as saying.
On July 5, Saifuddin revealed to Malay Mail that his ministry recorded 968 complaints on prices that remained the same, and 1,023 complaints on price-hikes from June 1 to June 30.
Saifuddin also said that in June, 24,601 premises and 646,377 items were examined while 375 warnings were issued for prices not being lowered.
The government zero-rated the GST on June 1 and intends to reintroduce a Sales and Service Tax (SST) by September.
