BERNAMA filepic
PAPAR: The government has approved an allocation of RM38mil per year to cover the cost of shipping refined white sugar from the peninsula to Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (pic) said a recent Cabinet meeting agreed with the ministry's recommendation to increase the transportation cost from 10 sen per packet of sugar to 20 sen from next month.
"This reflects the Federal Government’s concern to ensure that Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan are not short of refined white sugar.
"I am grateful for the concern of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by increasing the transport allocation from RM19mil to RM38mil,” he told reporters after the Papar Parliamentary Ihya Ramadan ceremony at Datuk Salleh Sulong Hall here on Friday (March 28).
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The ceremony was officiated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.
Armizan, who is also Papar MP, said the Cabinet had agreed to establish a 1,000-tonne buffer stock of sugar in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan to ensure that there is no disruption in supply.
He said a technical committee to monitor the price and supply of goods had also been institutionalised, and would be chaired by the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry secretary-general across various ministries and related agencies.
"With regular meetings, the committee will not only be responsive to issues related to the price of goods and supplies but also make plans in to face festive seasons,” he added. – Bernama
