Not displaying price tags the top offence committed by traders

PONTIAN - Failure to place or display price tags is the most prevalent offence commited by traders recorded by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) nationwide ahead of Aidilfitri celebration.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said the Ministry received hundreds of complaints about it and the ministry's enforcement officers had been instructed to monitor traders and retailers involved.

"Traders and retailers who are still negligent in displaying price tags have been advised. I myself have reprimanded traders and retailers several times in a surprise inspection to put up price tags.

"The Ministry would like to as much avoid issuing compounds as Aidilfitri is approaching. However, strict action will be taken if traders or retailers still continue to commit the same mistake," he said.

He said this in a press conference after launching Rahmah Sale of Imported Meat at Pontian Econsave Supermarket, here, today.

In this Rahmah Sale programme, a total of 90 Econsave branches nationwide had offered 500 tons of imported buffalo meat at a price of RM14.90 per kilogram (kg), compared to the ceiling price of RM20 per kg set by the Ministry.

In the meantime, Salahuddin said a number of locations had been identified selling chickens at price above the ceiling price.

According to the inspection carried out, the matter happened due to the sellers receiving chicken supplies from two or three wholesalers.

"As a result, the chicken traders were, for example, forced to charge for cutting service until the the price of one kilogram of chicken had exceed the ceiling price, because they had gotten pricey chicken supplies.

"After checking the matter with the Ministry's legal unit, in cases where traders have display price tags and clearly notify buyers of cutting service charge where buyers have agreed to it, then it is not considered an offence.

"However, this issue only occurs in some locations and not in many areas," he said.