KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government has allocated RM100 million to subsidize additional transportation costs of essential items to the rural areas in Sabah this year. This represents an increase of over 16 per cent compared to RM86 million approved for the same purpose last year.
Federal Secretary to Sabah, Datuk Abu Bakar Hassan, said, the huge funding was given to help ensure rural communities in Sabah can buy essential goods, especially controlled items, at the same prices as in the urban areas.
He said this is part of the government’s price standardization programme where distributors are appointed to deliver directly essential items such as fuel, cooking gas, rice, flour and sugar to participating stores in the rural areas.
He said this when officiating at the closing of the Civil Servant Seminar in conjunction with the State level National Consumer Month here, yesterday.
Touching on the event, Abu Bakar said, the Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Office’s (KPDNKK) approach to educate other agencies on consumerism was timely and an effective move to address consumerism issues in the State.
He said promoting consumerism awareness among the public is not an exclusive role shouldered by the KPDNKK alone and it is only logical that other related agencies should be equipped with the necessary knowledge.
The seminar was jointly organized by KPDNKK and Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS). It is part of a series of programmes held in Sabah that is aimed at promoting consumerism awareness in Sabah throughout the National Consumer Month.
Other activities being held included 1Consumer Run, Healthy Menu Cooking Competition, Mini Carnival, Consumerism Road shows and oratory competition.