Govt tightens grip on basic food prices

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is making sure prices of basic food items are controlled, said Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

The Government would intervene either by importing basic food necessities from other countries or by setting up a body to control prices if there are shortages, he said.

“If there are basic food items that are generally needed by the people, we will control the prices,” said Johari at the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) “Back to School” programme in Dewan Komuniti Taman Maluri.

However, the Titiwangsa MP pointed out that only basic food necessities will be controlled.

“It is hard for the Government to control the prices of food items that have been processed. “If we were to control the prices for everything, then the economy (in our country) is not real,” he said, adding that such a move would cause many companies to close down.

He added that the public could report cases of overpriced basic food items to the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry or the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry.

Meanwhile, he said the criteria for selecting Baitulmal recipients must be revisited, especially for those who live in the city.

“The needs of the urban poor are different from those who live outside the city,” he said.