Cartels to blame for pricey goods
> GST not responsible for hike, says Zahid
BAGAN DATUK: The rise in prices of goods is not caused by the imposition of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) but due to the action of middlemen or cartels who manipulate prices to reap hefty profits.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the National Cost of Living Action Council, which had met and was chaired by him on two occasions recently, found that the action of middlemen in manipulating the prices of goods had burdened the people who had to bear the rising cost of living.
“It’s true there is an increase due to production cost, rise in imports, rise due to currency exchange because our currency then was weaker compared to the value of the US dollar, but the value of our currency has risen.
“However, why is it that the prices of goods have not gone down?
“It means that the cartels are playing the role of middlemen who make a hefty margin. I don’t want to make enemies with them, but I represent the people asking the cartels or middlemen not to blame the government and don’t victimise the people and poison their minds to hate the government,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Bagan Datuk MP, said this when officially opening the convenience store ProMart Bagan Datuk and launched a programme on the cost of living in Hutan Melintang yesterday.
Also present were Rungkup assemblyman Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya, who is also chairman of the State Committee for Youth and Sports and Human Resource, Bagan Datuk District Officer Datuk Hamzah Hussin, FAMA chairman Tan Sri Badruddin Amiruddin and executive chairman of Prolink Retail Sdn Bhd Datuk Dr Suhaimi Ibrahim.
Commenting further, Ahmad Zahid said the council found that the same group was also among the companies or individuals who had previously avoided paying the Sales and Services Tax (SST).
He said that the matter had to be explained to the public as the government had frequently been accused of being the culprits when it had done its best to champion the cause of the people.
“They blame the government because the GST was the main cause for the price rise, but the cartels were previously the ones that escaped paying the SST.
“That’s why the government took measures to collect the sales tax through the GST.
Because of this, they were angry at the GST and that’s why they hurl allegations and slanders at the government,” he said. – Bernama