Michael Tiang calls to MP Chong to hold workshops for merchants

suppadmin | November 15, 2018

SUPP Youth Chief, Michael Tiang took to task the confusion created by Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs for his oppressive investigation in the Price Hike and Anti-profiteering Act 2011 on merchants.

Tiang said today, the SUPP youth are concerned with the price hike of goods around 5 to 10% despite the Ministry’s assurance of prices going down.

Starting early next year, he said the merchants and the people will face the price hike adding more to their burden due to the weakening of the ringgit, the economy downturn and an increase of the minimal wages.

Merchants, he said, have complained to him that they were answering enquirers from the Ministry and to make matter worst, many officers have their different priorities in the investigation which made it hard for the merchants. “Therefore, I suggest that Chong hold a workshop session with them to explain to them what are the rules and regulations of the Ministry before punishing them,” he said.

Tiang said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government should not have abolished the GST but reduced it. To implement SST, it will create a loophole for the tax evaders.

From what he learned from the merchants, they face a lot of other hidden hikes, reduction in promotion by suppliers, incentives by suppliers and increase of the goods. It is unreasonable to the merchants as a government should be lending a hand to help businesses and not to add burden to them.

From the Budget 2019, Tiang pointed out that there was no financial aid to business people. “The people are having hard time. Merchants are having hard time. The government is contributing to their hardship,” he added.