NIBONG TEBAL: The Rural and Regional Development Ministry has joined hands with the authority to ensure all quarters adhere to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation.
Its adviser Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman said the ministry had mobilised its manpower to ensure traders do not overcharge customers at remote places nationwide in light of GST that started last Wednesday.
He said the ministry had received complaints on unusual price movements from local produce operators and investigations have been ongoing.
"We have ordered our JKKK to alert any hefty price hike to the GST community complaint bureau.
"There has been no report lodged on customers being cheated yet so far but we cannot let our guard down as the unscrupulous outlet operators are likely to shortchange customers at remote corners in the country," Zainal said.
He said some 15,000 village security and development committee (JKKK) units would be on the ground to perform random price checks on groceries sold at rural areas nationwide.
Zainal expressed his concern the customers would lose out due to profiteering at pasar tani (agriculture market) and rural markets as no official receipts are issued for transactions at those outlets.
"Our aim is to stop potential price manipulation against consumers at rural places," he said.
Zainal, who is also Federal Action Council chairman, was speaking to reporters after launching a state level higher productivity campaign for rubber estate smallholders organised by Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) at Kampung Sungai Buaya here yesterday,
He said Risda had handed out equipment and fertilisers on a regular basis to ensure better output from rubber and oil palm smallholders.