Thursday, October 22, 2009

SO, THEY CAN SELL AT A LOWER PRICE, IF THEY WANT TO!

The Star Online

Thursday October 22, 2009

Dealers barred from selling petrol at lower prices


PETROL dealers are barred from selling fuel at prices lower than the designated rates, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Deputy Minister Datuk Tan Lian Hoe said.
She said this was because petrol prices are set by the Automatic Pricing Mechanism (APM) since 1983 as a form of fuel price control.
She said the mechanism was implemented to ensure price stability, control inflation and provide an assurance of profitability to fuel companies and petrol dealers.
“This means that dealers cannot decide fuel prices on their own or consumers will have to pay different levels of prices at fuel stations,” she told Tony Pua (DAP – Petaling Jaya Utara).
“Fuel prices will rise later on if the mechanism is not used when global crude oil prices go up, and the country will be affected by rising inflation.”
Pua told reporters at the lobby later the Government should allow petrol companies to offer lower fuel prices to encourage healthy competition.
On another matter, Pua called on Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to take concrete steps to check the increasing financial indiscipline in government departments.
He added that the pervasive culture had created additional fiscal strain to the public coffers, which hampered government efforts to stimulate the economy.
Pua said the latest Auditor-General’s Report was no different than the previous one, which consistently highlighted persistent over-expenditures and cost over-runs by government departments and agencies.

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