SARAWAK will introduce a discount on electricity tariff to the food producers and retailers to reduce the cost of doing business in the state.
Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari said the discount would benefit the coffee shops, restaurants, as well as other food and beverages industry.
Sarawak Government, he said, was concerned of the rising prices of food and thereafter affecting the cost of living.
He said all these were due to the current geopolitical tension that leads to imported inflation and the ringgit performance against USD that had declined 0.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2022.
“Malaysia’s weakening currency will increase import prices, burdening both consumers and importers. As Malaysia is a net importer of food, the imported inflation has caused higher food prices domestically. Therefore, most of this is beyond the Sarawak Government’s control,” he explained.
“However, Sarawak Government will intervene within our power and means to cushion the impact of rising cost of living, especially on food prices, on the rakyat,” he said when delivering his winding – up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today.
“For this, I will introduce a discount on electricity tariff to our food producers and retailers, including coffee shops, restaurants, and other food and beverages industries in order to reduce their cost of doing business. Therefore, I expect it will mitigate the market price of food,” he said.
Against this backdrop, Abang Johari said, Sarawak Government’s efforts to transform its agriculture sector to become net food exporter under PCDS 2030, would eventually provide “farm-to-table” food security and self-sufficiency level (SSL) for Sarawak.
