BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry has inspected 787 hotels and restaurants to tackle issues on service charges nationwide. Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad said 412 complaints were received and 88 premises issued notices under Section 21 of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 as of yesterday. “The operation commenced on April 8 and, based on the complaints received, we will investigate to determine if there is profiteering.

“Traders are given three days to submit invoices and the related documents before enforcement action is taken,” he told reporters after inspecting Pasar Awam Sama Gagah, Permatang Pauh here, today. In another development, he said the ministry would continue to explain the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and go down to conduct periodic checks to raise public awareness.

Alias said, cumulatively, 120,884 premises had been inspected as of yesterday and the ministry was closely monitoring the prices of raw and wet goods to prevent significant increases. “We find if there are increases they depend on the suppliers, for example imported fruits from China, Egypt and the United States are influenced by the current financial exchanges,” he said.

On his visit to traders’ stalls and wholesalers’ premises around Permatang Pauh, he said the prices were quite stable and did not differ much compared to to the pre-implementation of GST. “The traders are seen trying to maintain the pre-GST prices, except for several items, such as the price of chicken shows differences in several places, with the highest at RM8.80 per kilogramme,” he said.

He said the latest data showed 11,169 complaints received via numerous channels nationwide with complaints on the increase in the prices of goods recording the most, at 2,249 cases. A total of 352 investigation papers were opened with 18 completed and would be submitted to the Attorney-General’s Department latest by this week. --BERNAMA