KOTA KINABALU: Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry personnel have stepped up efforts to ensure traders and wholesalers abide by the new three-sen drop in retail prices for grade A, B and C eggs in Sabah’s east coast Sandakan district.
The ministry’s district chief enforcement officer Azdy Zukkry John said the exercise on Monday (June 24) was also intended to check on the supply of eggs in the market following the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on June 17.
“We have taken immediate steps to inspect and monitor several main suppliers of grade A, B and C eggs as well as markets in Sandakan,” he said, in a statement.
Based on their checks on the main egg suppliers, he said, they will make deliveries of the three types of eggs to markets in the district daily except for Sundays.
Other grades of eggs which were not controlled by the government are also included in these deliveries, he said.
“Based on the inspection carried out today, the total amount of the current stock of grade A, B and C chicken eggs for the three main suppliers in Sandakan district is 63,750 eggs,” Azdy said.
“Meanwhile, the total of grade A, B and C eggs that have been sent from these suppliers to supermarkets around Sandakan was 54,000 eggs, or 84.71%.
“The balance of 9,750 eggs is still in the process of being delivered to business premises around the district.
“This shows there is no problem with the supply of chicken eggs in Sandakan and it is still sufficient for household use, especially after the price reduction,” he added.
Nonetheless, Azdy said, they will continue to monitor the situation besides making daily checks at all delivery chains including at the farm, wholesale and trader levels to ensure no disruption of supply.
He said 19 enforcement personnel and eight price monitoring officers will be mobilised daily under this initiative.
“We also have yet to receive any official report since Jan 1 over the supply of grade A, B and C eggs in Sandakan,” he said.
He warned that the ministry will not compromise with those found flouting the law by trying to disrupt the supply as well as manipulate the prices of eggs.
Anwar had announced that the new retail prices for Grade A, B and C eggs are 42 sen, 40 sen and 38 sen each respectively with immediate effect.
Following the reduction, the retail prices for Grade A, B and C eggs in Sandakan are 48 sen, 47 sen and 46 sen each, respectively.
Azdy said residents in Sandakan can call the ministry’s district branch office at 089-668107 between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday for more information on the egg supply situation.
