Govt Ready To Act On Unjustified Price Hikes After Sst Revision Says Deputy Domestic Trade Minister

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Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Fuziah Salleh said authorities will step up efforts to monitor the prices of basic necessities, including food at eateries, following the Sales and Service Tax revision. — Picture by Raymond ManuelKUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Authorities will step up efforts to monitor the prices of basic necessities, including food at eateries, following the Sales and Service Tax (SST) revision, Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Fuziah Salleh said.
According to The Star, Fuziah said the ministry is ready to take action against food operators who increase prices unnecessarily due to the SST adjustments.
“We have already launched Ops Kesan 4.0,” she said.
“This is to protect consumers by detecting price movements and any attempts to exploit the SST adjustments. We will continue to monitor them,” she said.
She added that the ministry is prepared to receive complaints from the public.
“We hope all parties can play their roles and we will look into all the complaints,” she said.
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has begun nationwide enforcement operations under Ops Kesan 4.0 to curb unjustified price increases and profiteering linked to the SST revision, which came into effect on July 1.
Minister Datuk Armizan Ali said on July 8 that the enforcement will be guided by four key elements, starting with the scrutiny of goods and services listed under the revised SST scope.
He said the second element involves ensuring registered businesses exceeding the SST threshold register with the Customs Department.
Other factors include examining pricing margins to determine whether they reflect profiteering in violation of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
“Businesses are advised to consider all four aspects before making any price or service fee adjustments,” Armizan said.
He also urged businesses to consult the Customs Department and the Finance Ministry for policy and compliance clarification while seeking guidance from the ministry’s Enforcement Division for matters involving profiteering indicators. - malaymail

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