Covid-19 self-test kits ceiling price to be reduced further by year end — Nanta
KUCHING: The ceiling price for Covid-19 self-test kits will be reduced further before end of the year, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
Currently, he said, the ministry is conducting studies on how to bring down the price further.
“Before December this year, we will further reduce the retail price for the Covid-19 self-test kits which is now priced at RM19.90.
“Even though we set the ceiling price at RM19.90, a lot (of retailers) are selling the self-test kits lower than that,” he said during a media luncheon held at a hotel here yesterday.
According to Nanta, making Covid-19 self-test kits more affordable is the way forward from the pandemic, which has plagued the country for over a year now.
He said the ministry had appreciated media in the country rendering their co-operation in circulating vital information to the community.
As for as the ministry is concerned, he said they had to protect consumers’ interest while making sure that traders can make reasonable profit.
“We protect consumers from unethical traders and guide them to be wise consumers. In the meantime, we also have to take care of traders and retailers who need to make profits as they have families to feed too.”
As the country is on the road to economic recovery, Nanta said his ministry is striving to provide an environment more conducive to doing business.
He said the government wants to see more younger generation venturing into entrepreneurship as many advanced countries’ economy depended on small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“In Malaysia, we must make sure our policies are friendly to traders, so we need to have conducive business environment.
“We also offer ease of doing business which is seeing less bureaucracy that will ensure reduction in costs of doing business,” he added.
According to Nanta, the ministry’s enforcement team is taking a less rigid approach in discharging its duties.
Instead of imposing fine over offences committed, he said the enforcement team opted to heighten awareness of the need to comply with the regulations.
“We don’t want to just fine them. We advocate first then compound particularly during the pandemic time when everyone is hit hard by Covid19,” he said.