Nanta speaks to reporters, as KPDNHEP Sarawak director Datuk Stanley Tan looks on.
KUCHING: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) would only open up new branches or
sub-branches following the requests from the local leaders and base on need, said the minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He said upon receiving such request, the KPDNHEP would assess and determine the need for such branch or sub-branch.
“We will only open when there’s truly a need for any district to have a branch or sub-branch of the KPDNHEP,” he told reporters at a press conference held after his official visit to the KPDNHEP sub-branch office in Serian near here yesterday.
Nanta said the ministry’s
sub-branch office in Serian was set up following the request put forward by Sarawak Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Datuk Amar Michael Manyin, who is Tebedu assemblyman, and Kedup assemblyman Martin Ben, during an official visit to Serian in May last year.
Nanta acknowledged that Serian had developed so much over the years, and that its location was strategic – near to the Sarawak-Kalimantan border.
“Serian is seen as one of the ‘by-pass towns’ for people travelling from Kuching to other divisions, and vice versa, via road.
“The communities of traders and consumers in Serian are also quite big; therefore, after having carefully assessed the situation, Serian deserves to have a (KPDNHEP) sub-branch,” he said, adding that the Serian sub-branch had been in operation since August last year, with five staff members.
He said his ministry would increase is manpower should the need arise.
In addition, Nanta said the KPDNHEP had also established a sub-branch in Betong, following the request by the leaders there.
“Currently, there are nine KPDNHEP branches and three sub-branches in Sarawak.
“Aside from Serian and Betong, our other sub-branch is in Lawas.
“Having these branches and sub-branches is important, especially amidst the Covid-l9 pandemic where panic-buying and unnecessary price hikes could occur due to shortage in supplies.
“The KPDNHEP branches and sub-branches would help monitor the situation and also to ensure that there would be no panic-buying and unwarranted price hikes of the essential food items,” he said, commending the performance of the KPDNHEP enforcement team in Sarawak, whom he said had been working tirelessly to ensure that there would be no panic-buying, no shortage in food supplies and no unnecessary price hikes in the state.
“There might have been a few cases of price hikes, normally during the festivals, but they were not serious ones,” added the minister.
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