80 per cent of state to enjoy benefits of Price Standardisation Scheme next year
FOR YOU: Tan (second right) hands over an LOI to George Thien, a point of sale appointee for diesel, petrol and LPG in Batu Niah.
MIRI: The federal government’s Price Standardisation Scheme will cover 80 per cent of the state next year.
Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Datuk Tan Lian Hoe said RM100 million had been allocated to ensure that essential items are more affordable state-wide.
“For this year, with a total allocation of RM67 million, we have covered about 30 per cent of Sarawak’s areas, mostly in the interior, which was known as the Community Drumming project,” she said.
With the increased allocation for next year, she said, the number of distribution areas would increase from 191 at present to 269 next year.
Among the areas which will be covered are Mulu, Bakun, Belaga, Sungai Asap, Long Simut, Bario and Tutoh Apoh.
Tan added that the government is concerned and aware of the rakyat’s plight, especially after the increase of the RON95 petrol and diesel prices on Dec 3.
She said the Community Drumming project would help to lighten this load.
Tan told reporters this at Yu Lan Plaza after handing over Letters of Intent (LOI) to 27 appointed point of sale distributors for controlled items such as diesel, sugar, and LPG in rural areas in Miri, Bintulu and Limbang yesterday.
Among those present at the function were Domestic, Trade Co-operative and Consumerism’s state director Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman and theMinistry’s head for Miri branch Zakaria Awang.
“Sarawak is our main priority area due to its geographical size. We are serious about this project so that the people living in the interior areas of Sarawak can afford to buy controlled items such as diesel, petrol,LPG or sugar at affordable prices.”
She urged members of the public to be the Ministry’s eyes and ears to ensure that the elected point-of-sale distributors in their respective areas did not hike the prices of controlled items.
“We will not compromise with those who increase the priced controlled items,” she cautioned.
In 2009, Sarawak received RM57 million out of a total RM96 million approved nationwide for the programme, which encompassed 15 per cent of the state.