BENTONG, Sept 22 — The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) has started selling imported rice at ‘Rahmah’ prices in every Rahmah Sales programme across the country.
Acting minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said beginning today, consumers will be able to get five kilogrammes (kg) of imported rice at a price not exceeding RM15 and a 10kg bag at a price below RM30 at any Rahmah Sales programme in their area.
He said this was decided at the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday as a measure to deal with the temporary disruption of local rice supply and the increase in the price of imported rice.
“The price of imported rice offered is cheaper than what is sold in the market which is usually priced at RM35 to RM40 and more, for the retail sector.
“This is our effort to help KPKM (Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security) deal with the issue of lack of local rice supply and the increase in the price of imported rice in the market. This a short-term measure, we believe that KPKM has mid and long-term solutions,” he said.
Armizan said this at a media conference at the Rahmah Sales Programme at Dataran Simpang Pelangai here today, which was also attended by Pahang Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee Chairman Sim Chon Siang.
He said the decision to sell imported rice at Rahmah prices at the sales was taken to prevent the programme, which is held in all state constituencies across the country, from disrupting the supply of local rice in the market.
“So let us source imported rice but sell it at Rahmah prices, we don’t want to cause more disruption to the supply of local rice in the retail sector,” he said.
Armizan said at the NACCOL meeting yesterday, he had put forward a proposal related to ‘extension of authority’ (extension of enforcement) to KPDN enforcement in matters related to rice to help deal with supply issues.
“We believe that this proposal should be considered, we want to help (deal with the rice issue), (however) any decision related to that will be decided by KPKM,” he said.
