PORT DICKSON, May 4 — The enforcement period and the increase in the number of goods involved under the Festive Season Price Control Scheme (FSPCS) are expected to be announced after the first week of Ramadan.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that, currently, the ministry would hold discussions with stakeholders including industry players and traders.
‘’Normally, traders and producers are quite unhappy with the price control scheme but it is very well received by consumers because they will benefit from it.
‘’The ministry’s role is to achieve a balance so that we can reach a win-win situation whereby traders can still profit without burdening the consumers.
‘’As such, we will hold meetings with the producers, traders and the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry to ensure the supply of goods are adequate before we make any announcement.
‘’When all the discussion processes are done, I will make the announcement,’’ he said this after a Buy Malaysian Goods-Consumer Sales Carnival here today.
Also present was the Port Dickson Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He, however, did not state the duration and how many items of goods would be involved.
He said that, until to date, FSPCS, overall, was for 55 days comprising six major celebrations feted in the country.
In another development, Saifuddin said the ministry targeted that 30 per cent of goods at supermarkets nationwide would be products by local entrepreneurs, from the current 10 to 18 per cent.
He said the ministry would use a RM20 million fund allocated to it this year to enable the products of local entrepreneurs to enter supermarkets.
Commenting further, Saifuddin said the ministry had also conducted a meeting with AirAsia recently to promote products by local entrepreneurs for sale aboard their flights other than enabling local entreprenuers to make beneficial use of the e-commerce of the airline.
‘’Two weeks ago, we received an agreement to enter 550 local products to be marketed by AirAsia,’’ he added. — Bernama
