Following the 2 percentage point increase in the sales and service tax (SST) from 6% to 8%, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has conducted inspections at over 2,000 premises, as revealed in the Dewan Rakyat.
Deputy Minister Fuziah Salleh reported that 2,239 premises were inspected, and 66 notices were issued under Ops Kesan by Monday morning.
Those who received notices will need to justify their price increases within a four-day period, with the ministry scrutinizing their expenses from raw materials to final products if necessary.
Fuziah provided these updates in response to a question by Nurul Amin Hamid regarding Ops Kesan’s progress.
Ops Kesan was initiated by the ministry to evaluate the impact of the recent SST increase under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
In a separate disclosure, Fuziah stated that over 5,900 violations of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 were recorded in 2023, resulting in total fines exceeding RM1.4 million.
Responding to a query by Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, she emphasized the Act’s importance in safeguarding consumers against unscrupulous traders.
The Act applies to various businesses, including hotels, food festivals, and vendors at upcoming Ramadan bazaars, with strict monitoring and enforcement mechanisms in place.
If complaints arise, the ministry will investigate and assess traders’ profit margins and pricing strategies.
Fuziah assured that the ministry possesses the necessary tools and methodologies to enforce the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 effectively.
