Keep prices of digital devices fair – minister
KOTA KINABALU: Keep the price of digital devices fair during the new norm of learning for students in Sabah, said Community Development and People’s Wellbeing minister Shahelmey Yahya.
Shahelmey urged businesses to do proper planning to ensure sufficient supply of basic necessities during the Movement Control Order (MCO) 2.0 period and the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations.
“In addition, I have been made to understand that due to the MCO and the new norm, a lot of work and learning is done from home causing a high demand for digital technology items like laptops, pads, printers and desktops.
“There is a high demand so there is a possibility that traders may take the opportunity to raise prices due to it,” he added during essential goods supply during MCO walkabout program at Wisma Sedco here yesterday.
“So KPDNHEP (Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs) advises traders to be ethical in this current situation. Demand is high, but do not raise prices arbitrarily,” he emphasized.
Shahelmey visited the Bataras Superstore at Wawasan Plaza during the walkabout to review the level of compliance of traders and consumers on the MCO Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), enforced since January 13.
During the walkabout, the state minister checked the supply of basic necessities as well as price points of related goods.
Also present during the program were KPDNHEP Sabah Office director Georgie Abas and KPDNHEP Sabah chief enforcement officer Taha Julai.
Flyers containing information and guidelines to consumers and traders were also distributed during the program.
According to Georgie, all traders are deterred from unreasonably increasing the price of electronic equipment.
“Ops Catut 8.0, which starts from January 25 to February 8 is aimed at curbing misconduct or price manipulation by traders following the student online learning for school session starting January 20,” he said.
Georgie said KPDNHEP has and will continue to conduct inspections on business premises selling electronic items such as laptops, desktops, printers, tablets and mobile devices through the Ops Catut 8.0 throughout Sabah.
“Ops Catut 8.0 throughout Sabah is done as high sales in electronic equipment supply have been recorded for printers and laptops,” he said.
“Therefore, till January 28, 15 business premises were inspected and 13 notices were issued to the traders to obtain details of selling price and price of goods for further investigation on whether there was excessive profit taking or otherwise.
“The traders involved were given a period of two days to supply the information for KPDNHEP.
“If it is found that the business premises have increased the percentage of profit margin or the percentage of price mark up, a Notice under Section 21(2) of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act (AKHAP) 2011 will be issued to the trader,” he said.
Georgie added traders who fail to provide the necessary information during the given period will commit the offense under Section 21(5) of AKHAP 2011 and may be fined not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisoned for a term not exceeding two years or both for the individual while establishments or corporations can be fined not exceeding RM100,000.
He said the discovery of profiteering will subject those committing the offense to a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both while corporations may be fined not exceeding RM500,000 under Section 14(1) AKHAP 2011.