THE government has allocated RM680 million for the Price Standardisation, Price Stabilisation and General Use Flour Subsidy programmes this year, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said.

He said of the amount, RM240 million has been set aside for the implementation of the Price Standardisation Programme which involved the Distribution of Essential Goods, Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Community Drumming programmes. 

“A total of RM400 million for the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation programme and RM40 million for the General Use Flour Subsidy programme,” he told reporters after launching the Kota Kinabalu City Hall’s Joint Broadcasting System at Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu today.

Present were Sabah Community Development and People’s Welfare Minister,  Shahelmey Yahya, Sabah Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs director Georgie Abas and Kota Kinabalu mayor Noorliza Awang Alip.

Nanta said through the programmes, the government would bear the cost of transportation to deliver seven controlled items from suppliers in the city to selected rural areas.

The minister said the implementation of the programmes could ensure that the goods were sold at the set prices as the delivery costs would be borne by the government.

“I have visited POS (point of sales) in Pulau Bum-Bum, POS Mayok, POS Amin and POS Charleys in Kundasang to see for myself how the goods are delivered by the transporter, recorded and sold to the local communities to ensure that they will be able to enjoy the same prices in the city.

“There are a total of 2,005 POS nationwide with 845 of them being in Sabah,” he said.

On the launch of the system, Nanta said the broadcast tools installed in the markets would among others, serve as a platform to channel information on the new normal practices to the public.

He said the ministry has so far installed six broadcast tool units, namely at Pasar Utama Pekan Rabu, Kedah; Pasar Chowrasta George Town, Penang; Pasar Payang Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu; Pasar Utama Siti Khadijah Kota Baru, Kelantan; Pasar Besar Satok Kuching and Pasar Tamu Kapit in Sarawak; and Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. – Bernama, January 17, 2022.