Rafizi speaks during a press conference in Putrajaya on Sept 21, 2023. — Malay Mail photo
PUTRAJAYA (Sept 21): Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli today said that the policy paper on reducing approved permits (APs) and import permits (IPs) will be sent to the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) by November at the latest.
He said the paper was ready and had been slated for early October, but the NEAC meeting is scheduled for the first week of next month and it was crucial to prioritise it.
“It will be either October or November. It cannot be after November because the policy paper is done.
“But we will reassess the priority, but I hope that we can still slot it in within these two months because the list of things that need to be discussed about the economy is long and NEAC meeting is two hours every time we meet and we know it involves a heavy discussion,” he told reporters during a press conference at Pulse Grande Hotel here today.
AP is an import and export licence issued by the Permit Issuing Agencies under the Customs Act 1967. Last month, Rafizi said a policy paper on reducing APs and IPs is currently in the works, adding that the government hopes the move will reduce the prices of goods, especially those that are imported.
Rafizi had also said that there was room to improve existing anti-monopoly regulations to ensure a more competitive market, and that this would lead to consumers enjoying more competitive prices for goods and services in the long run. — Malay Mail