KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — The National Cost of Living Action Council (NACCOL) will establish the National Action Committee on e-commerce to eradicate the role of middlemen and reduce the costs of consumer goods, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
She said the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) would lead the committee and to coordinate efforts to strengthen the e-commerce system and cashless payments in the country.
“KPDNHEP will be responsible to enforce the law and to receive consumer complaints pertaining to online business,” she told reporters after chairing the NACCOL meeting at the Parliament today.
Also present was Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also women, family and community development minister, said NACCOL was looking at several proposals from the KPDNHEP to address the cost of living, including to place several selected food items under controlled goods, namely, standard chicken, grade C chicken eggs, imported round cabbage, ‘kembong’ or Indian Mackerel and coconut.
Meanwhile, in a separate issue, Dr Wan Azizah said that the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) and Pertamina would carry out specific studies that would cover, among others, mismatch in supply and demand, speculation issues in the housing market and financing facilities.
“Also, the Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (Angkasa) has been instructed to prepare a working paper on cooperative functions in lowering the cost of living and it will be presented in the next meeting,” she said.
Dr Wan Azizah said that all the reports would be presented at the NACCOL executive level meeting to be held at the end of this month.
She also disclosed that the implementation of My100 pass under the Ministry of Transport have benefited 151,693 users of RapidKL rail and bus services, while the My50 pass benefited 3,950 users of RapidKL and MRT feeder buses from December 1, 2018 to February 20, this year.
In the meantime, the implementation of Xtra20 discount cards for KTM commuters from April 1 was expected to benefit consumers in urban and rural areas with fare rates as low as 80 sen and they could save up to RM176 per month, she said.
Elsewhere, the Food Bank Malaysia programme, implemented at four public universities including the Universiti Malaya (UM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) have benefited 45,850 households and it would be extended to other public universities. — Bernama
