Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari today announced that the state government has allocated 50,000 chickens to be sold at RM8/kg for a period of two weeks starting next Monday, lower than the ceiling price that has been set nationwide by the federal government recently.
As reported by Astro Awani, the state government made the initiative under its Ehsan Food Intervention Programme which has been given RM1 million allocation and will be implemented by the Selangor Agriculture Development Authority (PKPS). During its first phase, poultry with the lower ceiling price will only be sold at PKPS-owned premises.
The Selangor Menteri Besar asserted,
“What we will be doing is to offer chicken traders operating in PKPS outlets to sell poultry at RM8/kg and PKPS will bear the cost (of subsidising the price) by reducing rental charges using the RM1 million allocation,”
Selangor Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
Amirudin further elaborated that with the mechanism, traders can still safeguard their returns and at the same time consumers can purchase good quality fresh chicken at a more reasonable price. Previously, the federal government announced that the ceiling price of chicken has been reduced from RM9.10 to RM8.90 nationwide.
The Selangor Menteri Besar commented,
“Our main focus is to help lighten the burden faced by the public due to increasing food prices through government intervention.”
For illustration purposes.
In its first phase, the lower ceiling price are available at the Selangor Wholesal Market (Pasar Borong Selangor) in Seri Kembangan and at Wisma PKPS in Shah Alam. After the first week and depending on the response by the public, the programme might be expanded to other localities within Selangor.
In order to avoid people misusing the subsidised price, each customer will only be allowed to purchase two whole retail chickens per transaction.
What do you guys think of this initiative by the Selangor state government? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: M’sian Chicken Suppliers Allegedly Withholding Stock As Market Stall Owners Refuse To Raise Prices
