Retail outlets must have new SST prices by Nov 15: KPDNHEP

PUTRAJAYA: From Nov 15, all supermarkets and grocery chain outlets nationwide must coordinate and come up with the new prices for all types of goods they sell, under the sales and service tax (SST) system from Nov 15.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) director of enforcement Datuk Mohd Roslan Mahayudin (pix), said companies that managed such businesses were given a two-month leeway so that they could make the necessary price adjustments from the previous goods and services tax (GST) to the SST which was implemented on Sept 1.
"There are shops where previous stocks have been exhausted and there are also shops which still have the old stock.The question is whether they can charge a new price," he told a press conference here today on anti-profiteering operations under the Operasi Catut 5.0.
"These hypermarkets and retail outlets have a pricing system where all their goods across the country show the same price, they have a system where prices are already fixed at the headquarters level. So, they wrote to the ministry and we did some research before giving them the leeway, "he added.
Asked about the sale of old stock of goods to consumers, Mohd Roslan said there was not much of the old stock available for sale before the price adjustment period on Nov 15, which he added was based on a survey that was carried out.
Mohd Roslan also explained that the sales tax rate imposed was not the same for all goods as they ranged from 0%, 5% and 10%, while the service tax rate was 6%.
As for the Operasi Catut 5.0, Mohd Roslan said that he had submitted investigation papers on four business establishments which had failed to follow the SST system.
"We are waiting for instructions from the Attorney General's Chambers on whether they would be charged or slapped with a compound," he said.
He said that as of today (Oct 18), a total of 20,259 premises had been inspected involving 490,328 items under phase two of the operation. The exercise involved inspections over each business chain nationwide with the cooperation of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department and the Malaysian Competition Commission.
"A total of 166 notices have been issued under Section 21 (2) of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act (AKHAP) 2011 to see that traders comply with legislation, while 1,826 notices under Section 53A AKHAP 2011, have been issued for traders to maintain and keep business records," he said.
Mohd Roslan said KPDNHEP provided various mediums to handle complaints which would facilitate the public to forward their complaints via SMS to 15888 by typing KPDDKK ADUAN, through the smartphone application EzAdu KPDNKK, or via the Whatsapp application KPDNHEP at 019-279 4317.