KUALA LUMPUR: Beginning July 1, traders will only require one licence to sell six controlled items, including sugar, wheat flour and cooking oil.
Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today the other three items were cooking gas as well as petrol and diesel which were sold also by retailers in small towns and villages.
“All licences to sell controlled items will be standardised into one licence, and traders will only need to apply for one licence to sell the controlled items,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby, here.
Also present at the news conference were MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Associations president Lean Hing Chuan.
They had earlier held discussions for about 40 minutes, on the sale of sugar, with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Following the decision, the Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Associations agreed to call off its boycott of controlled items beginning yesterday as a protest against the need for a separate licence to sell sugar, flour and cooking oil.
Ismail Sabri said he and Liow, who is the Health Minister, would raise the decision made today at the next Cabinet meeting to enable the standardisation of the licences to sell controlled items.
“I will also discuss with the Housing and Local Government Ministry to facilitate the application for licences to sell items such as alcohol, fire extinguishers and signboards, which come under the purview of the local authorities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lean said the federation was happy with the decision of the government which, he felt, understood the problems faced by retailers.
“We hereby revoke our decision to boycott the sale of controlled items after the government agreed to listen to our problems and accept our reasoning,” he said.
Source: Bernama
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 21:30:00
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