Nanta (centre) is seen at the press conference. At second left is Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Sarawak director Datuk Stanley Tan. – Photo by Kong Jun Liung
KUCHING (Dec 20): Malaysia has sufficient supply of Covid-19 self-test kits and the government will not be lowering the ceiling price, said Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
The Minister for Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs said this is to encourage competition among manufacturers for the self-test kits, which have been gazetted as controlled items.
“Following this gazette, Covid-19 self-test kits are controlled items, which means retailers and wholesalers cannot hoard these self-test kits.
“This is to ensure the availability of Covid-19 self-test kits in the market and it (the gazette) serves as a good move to ensure a constant supply of self-test kits for all,” he told a press conference today.
Nanta said even though the government had not reduced the ceiling price for Covid-19 self-test kits, some retailers had been offering them for as low as RM4.90 each in some parts of the country.
“It is better for us to leave it to competition, which shall see lower prices for self-test kits, rather than setting a lower ceiling price,” he said.
The government had fixed the maximum retail price for Covid-19 self-test kits at RM19.90 per unit and wholesale price at RM16 per unit effective Sept 5.
Nanta assured that the supply of Covid-19 self-test kits – both imported and locally manufactured – in the country is sufficient.
“There are many brands available in most stores,” he added.