KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — The government is continuing to strengthen monitoring and enforcement efforts to ensure the prices of essential goods remain under control amid public concerns over the rising cost of living and food supply issues.
Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the government monitors price trends of goods weekly, and domestic food prices overall remained within a controlled range between May 18 and 21, with changes ranging from -2 per cent to 3.6 per cent.
“Price movements for major items, such as chicken, show the current average price at RM9.57/kg. For beef, the good news is that prices have declined by 2 per cent to RM38.45/kg.
“For mustard greens, however, there has been a significant increase of 3.6 per cent to RM7.08/kg,” he said during a briefing on the global supply crisis today.
He said that despite price increases involving certain goods, the government found that there are still businesses offering consumers lower prices.
Akmal Nasrullah reminded traders not to take advantage of current economic uncertainties by raising prices, and encouraged consumers to use the PriceCatcher app to compare prices and make smarter purchasing decisions.
“Be smart consumers, because purchasing power is in your hands,” he said.
He added that the public can access information on the supply and prices of goods through the Supply Crisis Monitoring Dashboard.
On the labour market, Akmal Nasrullah said 7,057 workers lost their jobs in April, representing an increase of 21 per cent compared with 5,855 in March.
“Although this figure is lower than at the beginning of the year, at 10,658 cases in January and 7,512 in February, this still requires attention,” he said.
Akmal Nasrullah added that the government would ensure the Employment Insurance System (EIS), or LINDUNG Kerjaya, under the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) functions efficiently to assist those who have lost their jobs.
