Kota Kinabalu: Parti Warisan Putatan Division Women Chief Juriah Uda urged the State Government to develop a concrete and affirmative plan to curb the rising prices of food items in Sabah, which impact hundreds of thousands of Sabahans.
She said the increasing production costs – particularly for procuring seeds, fertilisers and machinery – faced by local agropreneurs have been raised numerous times in the State Assembly.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});However, Juriah said the continued and progressive rise in food prices demonstrates the ineffectiveness of measures taken by the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration over the past four and a half years.
“While shopping at a supermarket in Kota Kinabalu, recently, I was shocked to see limes, a basic cooking ingredient widely used by restaurants and hawkers, priced at RM11.90 per kg.
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Juriah said the sudden rise in the cost of agricultural produce places unnecessary financial strain on various groups, including restaurant owners and hawkers, who are left with no choice but to pass the costs on to consumers.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“This skyrocketing price of food items, compounded by the rising cost of living and the State’s economic stagnation – which prevents household incomes from increasing – will exert massive pressure on Sabahans living in suburban areas. This, in turn, risks pushing them into the hardcore or absolute poverty bracket.
“It is evident that GRS leaders lack the economic understanding and balancing skills required for visionary leadership and effective State management.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“While their aspirations to eradicate poverty in Sabah are commendable, they may fail due to the lack of competency, assertiveness, and commitment displayed by the Chief Minister, Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor, and his Cabinet Ministers – qualities that Sarawak Premier Abang Jo and his Cabinet Ministers have successfully demonstrated,” Juriah said
She urged the State Government to request an e-invoice exemption from the Federal Ministry of Finance for Sabah for at least another year to benefit local entrepreneurs.
“I have been informed by Warisan women leaders who conducted Chinese New Year walkabouts recently that one of the main concerns among the Chinese business community is the implementation of e-invoicing in Sabah by the middle of this year.
“Many are reportedly unhappy with the State Government’s inability to protect the interests of local Sabahan entrepreneurs, who are already struggling with rising operational costs, unstable water and electricity supplies, poor infrastructure, and frequent flooding.
“The State and Federal Governments should not equate local entrepreneurs in Sabah with their counterparts in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, or Johor, who enjoy superior business conditions.
“The appeal from Sabahan entrepreneurs for an e-invoice exemption deserves serious consideration,” she said.