Pengguna perlu bijak kawal pembelian, elak berbelanja lebih, Fomca ingatkan
- Details
May 28, 2022 8:00 AM
PETALING JAYA: Gabungan Persatuan-persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca) menasihatkan rakyat mengubah corak pembelian bagi mengelakkan berbelanja berlebihan kerana harga barang keperluan dijangka meningkat sehingga 60% pada bulan depan.
Dalam meminta kerajaan terus menyalurkan bantuan kepada rakyat memerlukan, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Fomca, Saravanan Thambirajah berkata, harga barang bukan dikawal sepenuhnya oleh kerajaan, sebaliknya bergantung kepada permintaan dan tawaran.
“Kerajaan telah mencuba sedaya upaya untuk menangani harga barangan berkenaan, tetapi bukan semuanya ditentukan kerajaan kerana ia tiada kuasa sepenuhnya dalam hal itu.
“Harga barangan bergantung kepada permintaan dan penawaran, kini ramai M40 dan B40 terkesan akibat kenaikan harga barangan dan kuasa membeli mereka turut berkurangan,” katanya ketika dihubungi FMT.
“Kerajaan telah mencuba sedaya upaya untuk menangani harga barangan berkenaan, tetapi bukan semuanya ditentukan kerajaan kerana ia tiada kuasa sepenuhnya dalam hal itu.
“Harga barangan bergantung kepada permintaan dan penawaran, kini ramai M40 dan B40 terkesan akibat kenaikan harga barangan dan kuasa membeli mereka turut berkurangan,” katanya ketika dihubungi FMT.
Sumber:
Rising prices cause drop in wet market business
- Details
June 3, 2022 9:30 AM
PETALING JAYA: Vendors at wet markets are lamenting that rising prices are causing their customers to reduce their spending.
Chicken seller Mahanom Husin, who has been operating at Pasar Seri Setia for close to 40 years, told FMT many of her customers were reducing their purchases by half.
“Prices are too high,” she said.
Chicken prices have been on the rise for more than three months.
Another chicken seller, Robaiyah Amir, said she had no choice but to increase prices, selling at RM11.50 per kg although the ceiling price set by the government is RM8.90.
She claimed that she still could not make a profit because of high operational costs.
Fish prices have also been rising.
According to seafood vendor Sathish Kumar, fish prices used to fluctuate within a specific range due to weather conditions but have doubled over the past few months.
“Cencaru, for example, used to sell at between RM10 and RM11 per kg, but has since risen to RM20 to RM22,” he said.
He said some of his customers had reduced their spending to less than half of the amount they used to spend.
No shortage of medicines, ministry says
- Details
June 3, 2022 11:32 AM
PETALING JAYA: The health ministry has clarified that pharmaceutical products are not experiencing a shortage as there are alternative medicines and brands in the market which offer the same results.
It said manufacturers have also increased their production capacity to fulfill the increased demand.
According to industry players, the increased demand was for several medicines such as paracetamol (used for fevers and mild pains) and vitamin C, and also cough and flu medicines for children.
“The health ministry is waiting for further response from the industry regarding the actual supply status of medicines produced in Malaysia and those imported, along with related issues,” it said in a statement today.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) advised the public against panic buying of medicines in light of the recent shortage of certain medications in the market.
MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai said the local industry had trouble meeting the demand because of the lack of raw materials and insufficient production capacity.
However, he said, they have placed increased product orders from overseas manufacturers.
MMA said it hoped to see a correction in the supply and demand of such medicines in the market soon.
Source:
Consumers complain about prices but still throw out good food - fomca
- Details
Monday, 06 Jun 2022
PETALING JAYA: Despite being irked by the higher prices of food these days, consumers are still throwing out good food.Over 170 complaints on pricey food items have been lodged with the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) since April.
These grouses include cooked food at eateries, fresh groceries at wet markets and food sold at Ramadan bazaars.
“We received complaints on items such as fish, chicken, cooking oil, vegetables and even labour charges for cutting poultry meat.
“Some grumbled that the price hike for cooking oil was almost 30%.
“Besides that, hawkers have also increased prices of food, with some consumers upset over the smaller portions served compared to the usual,” NCCC senior manager Baskaran Sithamparam told The Star.
With the general hike in food prices, he said consumers were up in arms as they find it hard to cope with the pricier items and shortage of certain products.
Even if the supply stabilises, Baskaran said sellers would unlikely bring down their prices.
“The purchasing power of consumers will be affected, hence they must prioritise their purchases. They need to buy what they need rather than what they want.
“For the time being until the situation gets better with the government’s intervention, they have to curb their expenses,” he advised.
The NCCC, a centre under the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca), assists consumers in their grouses and issues.
Read more: Consumers complain about prices but still throw out good food - fomca
Bekalan dijangka stabil, namun kos barang mungkin meningkat, kata Fomca
- Details
May 26, 2022 9:40 AM
PETALING JAYA: Gabungan Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca) menjangkakan harga barang makanan meningkat walaupun kerajaan dapat menstabilkan bekalan, lantaran beberapa unsur luar kawalan.
Meskipun isu bekalan makanan sedikit sebanyak dapat ditangani dengan pemansuhan Permit Kelulusan (AP), kadar tukaran matawang antara penentu harga barang kerana kebanyakannya diimport, kata ketua pegawai eksekutifnya Saravanan Thambirajah.
“Apabila kerajaan ‘membuka’ AP ini, ia akan dapat meningkatkan bekalan makanan dalam jangka pendek. Namun ini tidak memberi kesan kepada harga barangan kerana ia bergantung kepada kadar tukaran,” katanya kepada FMT.
“Apabila kadar tukaran tinggi, kos barangan meningkat dan harga barangan tidak akan berkurang. Mungkin meningkat sikit.”
Saravanan menyenaraikan beberapa lagi unsur yang mendorong kenaikan harga barang, seperti susut nilai ringgit, bekalan rendah ketika permintaan tinggi apabila sektor ekonomi dibuka selepas PKP dua tahun berakhir, dan peningkatan kos operasi perniagaan.
“Apabila peniaga menghadapi peningkatan kos, mereka akan cuba menaikkan harga barangan bagi menampung kos tersebut,” katanya.
Berdasarkan jangkaan itu, Saravanan menasihati pengguna agar ‘bersedia’ menghadapi peningkatan harga barang, walaupun banyak isi rumah B40 dan M40 ketika ini terkesan dengan kenaikan harga barang dan kuasa membeli yang berkurangan.
“Keadaan sebegini mula berlaku pada awal tahun ini,” katanya.
Read more: Bekalan dijangka stabil, namun kos barang mungkin meningkat, kata Fomca
Petrol dealers seek urgent meeting with govt as targeted subsidy fuels inflation fear
- Details
05- 25- 2022 08:42 AM
PETALING JAYA: The Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM) is calling for an urgent meeting with the government to discuss the mechanics of implementing a targeted fuel subsidy, before it is finalised and announced.
Its president Datuk Khairul Annuar Abdul Aziz was commenting on Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s Budget 2022 presentation in Parliament last October when he said the government was planning to impose a targeted fuel subsidy programme that would see the affluent paying more for petrol.
Speaking to theSun, Khairul said his association supported the move to provide subsidies for fuel purchases by lower-income groups. However, it is worried about the potential negative impact on the economy, which could see inflation rise due to fuel price increases. He said as such, the government needs to ensure inflation is kept at a minimum.
“Of course, we are also worried about the impact on petrol retailers, as price increases pose many challenges for us, more so than low fuel prices.”
Khairul added that PDAM is calling for the meeting to ensure that petrol dealers’ operations would not be negatively impacted by the government’s decision.
He said the pricing mechanism needs to be discussed with stakeholders such as his association to ensure the survival of the petrol retail industry and uninterrupted fuel supply to the public.
He also said one of the best ways to disburse petrol subsidy is to directly bank in the cash to the recipient, via an eWallet, or a special subsidy option that the government could create for the purpose.
Read more: Petrol dealers seek urgent meeting with govt as targeted subsidy fuels inflation fear
Boycott chicken for one month, consumers urged - FOMCA
- Details
May 24, 2022 @ 6:26pm
KUALA LUMPUR: The public has been urged to boycott consuming chicken for a month to put an end to the skyrocketing price of the birds.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason said the public had been at the mercy of chicken price manipulators for too long.
"It's time to turn the tables and show them the power of the consumers."
"If we do not do this, the cartels and middlemen will continue to take us for a ride."
He said chicken and egg were the cheapest and most widely available sources of animal protein hence their prices were sensitive to manipulation.
"If Malaysian consumers are unwilling to change their consumption patterns and look for other sources of protein we are going to have serious food shortage issues."
"I'm sick of begging the government to ensure that food is available in the market. This crisis is never-ending and it has only just been compounded by the war, inflation and climate change. But if consumers unite to boycott chicken, they can send a strong message to those responsible for the shortage," he added.
The government previously set the ceiling price of standard chicken at RM8.90 per kg, however traders claimed that the birds were supplied to them at RM8.70 per kg, making it impossible to cover cost.
On Monday Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced several short-term solutions to deal with the rising prices and shortage of chicken in the country.
Read more: Boycott chicken for one month, consumers urged - FOMCA
What took you so long, says Fomca over cartel probe
- Details
May 23, 2022 9:31 PM
PETALING JAYA: A consumer group has lambasted the government for taking its time before investigating claims about the existence of chicken cartels.
N Marimuthu, president of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) questioned why the government had waited until a chicken shortage happened before investigating the allegations.
“The Malaysia Competition Commission was established to ensure the government had eyes and ears in place to prevent any cartels from functioning, yet it took a Cabinet meeting today for action to be taken,” he said.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said earlier today that the investigation into claims of a chicken cartel would be completed by June.
Marimuthu said the government should have had better foresight. It must not delay the investigations any longer than necessary.
Meanwhile, Mydin hypermarket managing director Ameer Ali Mydin labelled the allegations of cartels as “shocking”. He said the prime minister’s statement had all but confirmed the existence of cartels.
“There is no place for these groups in Malaysia,” he said.
Consumer groups want all food-related APs abolished
- Details
Monday, 23 May 2022
PETALING JAYA: Reducing the red tape may help address the rising cost of living and food shortages, say consumer associations.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason (pic) said the Approved Permit (AP) requirement should be abolished across the board to bring in more imports and allow more food industry players to come in to ensure there is sufficient supply in the market.
“(There must be) total abolition of APs. The government must also make trade practices much easier.
“Too many licensing requirements is a waste of time,” he said.
Marimuthu added that the government should assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in producing enough food for the people.
Efforts must also be made to increase employment opportunities and welfare allocations for vulnerable groups, and ensure that more lower-income people have access to education and affordable healthcare, he added.
Fomca chief executive officer Saravanan Thambirajah echoed the call by National Recovery Council chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the re-activation of the food security council that was previously created to handle food crises.
He said the council should look into long-term measures to increase the food supply, create strong policies to protect the country against global economic conditions, and to reduce dependence on food imports.
“We need good agricultural policies in Malaysia. Don’t focus so much on land development. We need to focus on agriculture as well,” he added.
Read more: Consumer groups want all food-related APs abolished
Removing fuel subsidies may backfire, says Fomca
- Details
May 23, 2022 @ 9:30am
KUALA LUMPUR: Removing fuel subsidies for Malaysians and permanent residents with locally registered cars amid the soaring prices of goods and rising cost of living may backfire and cause higher inflation.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) chief executive officer T. Saravanan said this was because suppliers and traders were extremely sensitive to fuel prices and would raise the price of goods whether or not they were affected by the subsidy removal.
"Even if they also enjoyed the subsidy, their excuse would be that everything else has gone up, and they too have to hike their prices.
"In times of such severe inflation, this is likely to backfire," he said, adding that middle-income families were experiencing hardship previously restricted to low-income households.
He was responding to a statement by Senior International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, who said the government was looking to adopt a more targeted fuel subsidy mechanism.
Azmin had said government representatives had agreed that the assistance should be targeted at the deserving.
The bill for the assistance was projected to be RM28 billion for this year compared with RM11 billion recorded last year.
Saravanan, however, said consumers were struggling with the high cost of living, declining purchasing power, an uncertain economy, currency fluctuations and rising inflation.
"Putrajaya should be prepared to face the ire from the B40 and M40 groups if it plans to implement it now."
Page 37 of 103
