Some remote areas still not covered by price control

KOTA KINABALU: While extensive efforts have been made to ensure the prices of controlled goods are maintained throughout the country, there are still areas in Sabah and Sarawak that are not covered by the Government’s price standardisation programme.

This is because there are no access roads in these parts, which largely depend on helicopters, said Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob.

He added, however, there were few such areas.

Ismail Sabri said the Government had, so far, implemented its price standardisation in 90% of far-flung locations nationwide.

About Rm572mil had been allocated for the initiative since it started in 2009, involving 1,022 locations, mostly in Sabah and Sarawak.

The move is to ensure the prices of controlled goods in rural areas are the same as that in the cities, he told reporters after launching the price standardisation initiative for subsidised items in Bongawan, about 60km from here, on Sunday.

Ismail Sabri said Rm200mil had been set aside for the programme this year, of which RM111 was for Sabah and Sarawak.

He said the Government was determined to extend the initiative to all areas in the countries connected by roads, adding it would build roads in locations currently without such infrastructure.