In early June, the government decided to end Bernas’s monopoly of rice imports and established a committee to explore alternative options to tackle our staple food. I am unable to fathom nor understand this move which was said to be undertaken as a means to provide cheaper pricing for rice.
With the removal of the sole importer status and subsidy to Bernas, one would expect that the revenue of the government will be increased further. Will the government then utilise this savings to subsidise the price of rice for the end consumers? If so, in what manner?
If Bernas is to be removed, how will this also help protect the problems of an estimated 300,000 farmers in the nation on stockpile issues, subsidy disbursements and miller’s fundings in which the company is obligated to serve?
How would the removal of Bernas from the role of a sole importer be able to address the rising supply and control the price of rice? Wouldn’t appointing more companies to oversee rice imports result in more foreign rice being imported into the country? What would stop these companies then from forming a cartel?
In any country, government policies are mainly focused on poverty elimination and sectoral growth. As the poverty among paddy farmers is high in Malaysia, the government should regard this as an important and sensitive issue to protect the domestic industry and for food security purposes.
The government has to be commended for introducing a set petrol price, eliminating the weekly stress and anticipation of the different price back then. I call for the government to consider the same on the move to remove the single rice importer role to control any uncertainty and unrest among the rice farmers and the everyday Malaysian people.
I for one believe that a monopoly rice importer is needed to maintain and manage the national stockpile of rice to ensure sufficient supply and to stabilise the price.
We should have a ‘fixed price’ for domestic rice consumption.
Eng Kee
Taman Subang Mas
This letter originally published on The Sun Daily, Speak Up / Pg.10
Thu, 12th July 2018