In conjunction with the coming Deepavali festival on Nov 6, the government has listed 16 food items under the Festive Season Price Control Scheme.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the price control scheme would be implemented for seven days from Nov 3 under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.

Among the items on the list are live chicken, standard chicken, super chicken, local and imported bone-in mutton and imported lamb with bones, eggs, tomatoes, coconut and grated coconut, onions, potatoes and lentils, he said at a press conference in Putrajaya today.

Earlier, Saifuddin attended the ministry’s monthly assembly. Also present were Deputy Minister Chong Chieng Jen and the ministry’s secretary-general Jamil Salleh.

Commenting further, he said the maximum prices for all 16 items listed covered 91 districts in the peninsula, 32 districts in Sarawak, 27 districts in Sabah and one in Labuan.

Under the Festive Season Price Control Scheme, super chicken is RM5.30 per kg (wholesale price) and RM5.80 per kilo (retail price), standard chicken RM6.60 per kg (wholesale price) and RM7.30 (retail price), local bone-in mutton RM44 per kilo (wholesale price) and RM47 (retail price), lentils at RM2.50 (wholesale price) and RM3.50 (retail price).

Saifuddin also said there were items which saw a slight increase in price, but this was not due to the sales and service tax.

Instead, he explained, the increase was due to foreign exchange rates, as well as supply and demand factors.

At the same time, he also reminded traders to comply with the price control scheme or face legal action.

For the offence of selling above the maximum price, an individual can be fined up to RM100,000 or imprisoned for not more than three years or both or be compounded up to RM50,000, while the company can be fined up to RM500,000 or compounded up to RM250,000.

Traders who fail to put pink price tags for price-controlled items can be fined up to RM10,000 or compounded up to RM5,000, while the company can be fined up to RM20,000 or compounded up to RM10,000.

- Bernama