Weed out errant traders with more stringent SKHMP: Fomca

KUALA LUMPUR: The Festive Season Price Control Scheme (SKHMP) implemented since 2000 by the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) is a scheme which protects consumers from traders who make excessive profits by raising the prices of goods indiscriminately.
Through SKHMP, consumers can obtain essential goods at ceiling prices set by KPDNKK during festive seasons, even though it is different this year.
This is because many traders throughout the country took advantage to raise the price of items such chicken, fish and vegetables after the 14th general election (GE14) on May 9.
On May 30, at a media conference after chairing the second cabinet meeting of the new government in Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced several important decisions including implementing SKHMP.
The announcement of the prime minister was good news for consumers who were burdened by high prices of goods which even exceeded the level set by KPDNKK for Aidilfitri.
Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) deputy president Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman said irresponsible traders have been taking advantage to raise prices when an announcement is made on increasing basic goods such as petrol, toll electric tariffs and so on.
"Increase in basic goods has minimal effect to increase the daily cost of traders and they have always been giving the excuse to raise prices due to transportation cost.
"Even though KPDNKK put up the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, it was seen as not been completely successful to curb errant traders from raising prices when there is no monitoring by the authority, resulting in consumers being squeezed by unreasonable higher prices of necessities," he told Bernama.
Mohd Yusof said Fomca hoped the new Pakatan Harapan government would ensure the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 would continue to be implemented so that the people were not burdened by uncertain prices in future.
Apart from that, he called on consumers to complain to KPDNKK or other relevant authorities if they found the prices of essential foods were higher than the level set, to assist KPDNKK to weed out irresponsible traders. — Bernama