KUALA LUMPUR: The National Recovery Council (MPN) has set up a Special Action Committee to resolve the manpower shortage that has affected various sectors in the country.
MPN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the committee that will be spearheaded by the Human Resources Ministry and other related agencies will present a report and propose solutions in the next MPN meeting.
Another Special Action Committee, he said, was also set up to study funding and cashflow constraints faced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and resolve their liquidity woes.
This committee, he said, will be led by the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry that will also be presenting a report and propose solutions to MPN.
"During previous meetings, MPN had studied the recovery process of economic sectors once the country's economy was reopened, especially on the inability of supply to meet demands that led to hikes in prices of goods and services.
"In this regard, MPN has given particular focus on the shortage of manpower that has worsened in various sectors and the liquidity issues faced by MSMEs," he said in a statement today.
Muhyiddin also expressed concerns over the price hike of goods that could potentially affect the country's recovery process.
"The Department of Statistics Malaysia has found that the Producer Price Index (PPI) for local production had increased by 12.3 per cent in Sep 2021, compared to nine per cent registered the previous month.
"This will lead to a rise in inflation for the next few months that will definitely burden consumers," he said.
Muhyiddin urged enforcement agencies to beef up efforts to prevent manufacturers, suppliers and traders from raising the prices of goods at unreasonable rates.
"Stern action should be taken against errant individuals under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
"I am also of the view that a Cabinet Committee should be set up to tackle the hike in prices of goods and services," he said.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman, said that the coalition will organise Gerai Prihatin Rakyat nationwide that will sell essential items at a cheaper price.
The programme, he said, will be overseen by Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee.