Full study on Bernas’ role
NST (14/5/08): The effectiveness of Bernas as the sole importer and distributor of rice in the country is being studied.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said the Economic Planning Unit had recently given him a short presentation on their findings and he had asked them to continue with their study.
“We want a thorough study on Bernas’ role, its effectiveness and its level of social responsibility,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Last week, PAS’ Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub tabled an emergency motion in Parliament calling for Bernas’ monopoly to be broken given the current rice price problem.
Mustapa had replied that the EPU was conducting a study and Bernas had been ordered to immediately increase its supply of broken grain from 11,000 tonnes per month to 15,000 tonnes.
On whether the Government would buy some Bernas shares or completely remove the monopoly, Mustapa said they would study the matter first.
He also said that they were working with Domestic, Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry’s enforcement officers to clamp down on culprits who cheat consumers by switching rice grades and repackaging them at a higher price.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said the Economic Planning Unit had recently given him a short presentation on their findings and he had asked them to continue with their study.
“We want a thorough study on Bernas’ role, its effectiveness and its level of social responsibility,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Last week, PAS’ Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub tabled an emergency motion in Parliament calling for Bernas’ monopoly to be broken given the current rice price problem.
Mustapa had replied that the EPU was conducting a study and Bernas had been ordered to immediately increase its supply of broken grain from 11,000 tonnes per month to 15,000 tonnes.
On whether the Government would buy some Bernas shares or completely remove the monopoly, Mustapa said they would study the matter first.
He also said that they were working with Domestic, Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry’s enforcement officers to clamp down on culprits who cheat consumers by switching rice grades and repackaging them at a higher price.
0 comments:
Post a Comment