KUALA LUMPUR: The government kick started its Beras Rahmah sales by offering imported rice at cheaper than market prices catering for the deserving groups.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh said the ministry is now offering subsidies to imported rice and selling it at around RM13 and RM14 per the five kilogramme pack.
"The subsidy discount, we will ensure it is not more than what we can offer.
"For example the mobile Jualan Rahmah, local rice was sold between RM13 and RM14 for five kilogrammes, hence we tried to offer around the same price (for imported rice).
"For the RM13 price of a local packet of rice , now we are selling imported rice (in that price)," she said when officiating Today's Malaysia E-Commerce and Consumer Protection Regulatory Framework : The Way Forward seminar here today.
She said the government is targeting to expand the sales to all 222 parliamentary constituencies while urging members of parliament and local leaders to take the initiative to manage and plan to implement such programs for voters in their respective areas.
"We hope that every Parliamentary will have this sales programme. Before this, there were members of parliament who came to see me and said they also wanted to use their allocation to add to the subsidy offered in the form of rice to voters in their constituencies," she said.
She said that the ministry allocated RM150 million for Jualan Rahmah to succeed in initiatives that aim to help reduce the cost of living for the people.
"At first we had RM100 million, but the Prime Minister added another RM50 million. Since we do not have access to local rice, we will give a price discount to imported rice. We will give a discount which is a subsidy from the government obtained from the allocation earlier," he said.
In addition, he said, this sale will also target the placement of B40, low-cost housing areas, especially in the People's Housing Project (PPR).
"This is one of the mechanisms for us to reach the people who are most affected and need this.
"Another group is the traders, Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has already informed us that it will take responsibility to provide and distribute part (stock) of rice for the trader category.
"So we will focus on the consumer category. In particular, the most affected category of users.
"That will be discussed in more detail this evening. We will also announce the first (sales) program later," she said.
Yesterday, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the current rice stockpile is sufficient to cover the country's rice needs for a period of four to five months.
He also said that the government will negotiate with the Indian government to find a suitable solution over the rice export restrictions made by India.
This, he said, will be one of the efforts to help alleviate the issue of local white rice shortages in the country.