RM60mil boost for KR1M

SEMENYIH: The Government will allocate RM60mil next year to finance the transportation of goods, including subsidised items to be sold at Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) in Sabah and Sarawak.

Source from (The Star Online): http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/12/19/nation/12478351&sec=nation
Published: December 19, 2012



Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this would ensure goods remain at low prices in the two states.

The move, he said, would allow more KR1M shops to be opened in the two states, which currently has a total of four stores located in Padawan and Kuching in Sarawak and Tuaran and Inanam in Sabah.

“This is the government's commitment to ensure the rakyat, including those in Sabah and Sarawak will be able to enjoy essential items at reasonable prices.

“We will also be opening 57 more stores in Sabah and Sarawak in 2013 to ensure this facility can be enjoyed by more people,” he said when opening KR1M's 85th store in Taman Pelangi 2 here.

Ismail Sabri said the KR1M concept in the two states would see entrepreneurs and co-operatives managing such stores to get larger public participation.

On another matter, the minister said no firm decision has been made to allow Super Tempatan 15% (ST15%) rice to be sold only at selected outlets including KR1M stores.

The Auditor-General's Report 2011 had found the rice subsidy programme managed by Bernas and private manufacturers to be “unsatisfactory” due to lack of mechanism to ensure the target group benefited from it.

One of the recommendations made by the Agriculture and Agro-based Ministry was to distribute ST15% only through selected outlets such a KR1M, Felda and Felcra.