A July jolt Handy price checker apps for you

 

Consumers can download them to look for low prices and comparisons

Cooking oil prices are up as of today, so are those of chicken and eggs and it’s going to be a tough few months for consumers. However, economists expect the hard times to ease by the end of the year. Until then, a special task force, which met for the first time yesterday, will try to keep the pain bearable.

What to expect from today:

End of vehicle sales tax exemptions

Subsidy removed for 1kg, 2kg, 3kg and 5kg bottled cooking oil

Subsidy retained for cooking oil in 1kg packets

Increase in pet food prices

New ceiling price of standard chicken at RM9.40 per kg

Retail price of eggs: Grade A: 45sen Grade B: 43sen Grade C: 41sen

Those with driving licences expired on or before Jan 13, 2021, need to retake driving tests

No change in water and electricity tariffs for domestic users in Peninsular Malaysia

Large-scale enforcement against illegal immigrants to start 

As Malaysians brace for price increases in essential food items such as chicken, eggs and cooking oil, local price checker apps may be handy to help find the lowest prices available.

The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry is encouraging consumers to download its Price Catcher application, which allows users to view the prices of specific items from various locations and make comparisons.

For example, consumers can check the price for 1kg of chicken thighs and see how they are priced at different locations, such as grocery stores, supermarkets and more.

The prices will be displayed from the lowest to highest. Consumers will get information based on their own location data.

The app also allows users to view prices of goods from various ecommerce stores, though the choices are limited to only three platforms.

According to the ministry in a Facebook post on June 27, the information on the app is updated daily by its price monitoring officers based on checks at various locations.

Price Catcher is free to download from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. 

Price Catcher - Apps on Google Play /

Price Catcher on the App Store

Another price checker app that consumers can consider is Hargapedia. 

Hargapedia - Compare Price, Check Deals, Get free vouchers

They can check for the prices of items based on specific brands – from online platforms such as Shopee to supermarkets like Jaya Grocer, Giant and Lotus.

The app will display dates to provide validity of the pricing.

The information will also be filtered according to data provided by users such as location, age and income level.

The app can also direct consumers to the online platform so that purchases can be made from the site or outlet.

However, the app does not indicate if an item has sold out. Hence, consumers will only find out once they have been directed to the shopping site.

Full price listings are also only available to users who register on the app.

Hargapedia can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store and Huawei 

- The Star Malaysia

• by ALLISON LAI, JOSEPH KAOS Jr, JUNAID IBRAHIM, GERARD GIMINO and ANGELIN YEOH 

DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY PRICES 

 Hike in chicken ceiling price brings relief to many

 “The consumption of chicken and eggs is expected to be resilient despite global inflationary headwinds as they are one of the cheapest sources of protein.” Tan Kam Meng

Source: TA Research and Department of Veterinary Services

 The spike in the average price of meat such as duck, beef and pork in Malaysia, other than chicken, where the price has been kept low via a ceiling price, has led to an even higher demand for chicken, says TA Research. 

The higher ceiling price for broiler chickens and eggs may only provide “slight relief” to Malaysian poultry players, who have been battling margin compression for the past several months.

TA Research analyst Tan Kam Meng described the recently-announced hike in ceiling price for chickens as only “marginal”.

He also said that the increase in ceiling price for chicken from farm is unlikely to completely compensate for the cost borne by the breeders, especially smaller players.

“We believe the leeway for increase in average selling price (ASP) will slightly improve the earnings for both Leong Hup International Bhd and QL Resources Bhd as the input cost seems to have moderated recently.

“We reiterate ‘buy’ on Leong Hup and QL with respective target prices of 89 sen per share and RM6 per share,” stated Tan in a note issued yesterday.

Effective today, chicken will cost RM9.40 a kg, up by 50 sen, based on the new ceiling price set by the Cabinet.

The Cabinet decided not to float the price of chicken, a move that has brought relief to many quarters, especially consumers who are facing the brunt of inflation.

The Cabinet also set the new ceiling price of chicken eggs at 45 sen per egg for Grade A, 43 sen for Grade B and 31 sen for Grade C, all up by two sen each, in Peninsular Malaysia.

The new prices will be in effect until Aug 31.

Tan also said the higher ceiling price came as a compromise, taking into account the inflationary pressure faced by consumers and the increase in feed cost for the suppliers.

He noted that prices have been surging across the board for livestock, mainly due to increased feed price and demand recovery from the reopening of the economy.

The average prices of live ducks, cows and pigs in Malaysia have increased 8% to 32% compared to last year.

The spike in average prices of livestock other than chicken, where the price has been kept low via ceiling price, led to even higher demand for chickens, according to him.

“We remain optimistic on Leong Hup and QL as the increase in poultry’s ASP would provide a boost to profitability of their poultry segment.

“Furthermore, both poultry players are well positioned to capture market share of smaller farmers who left the business.

“The consumption of chicken and eggs is expected to be resilient despite global inflationary headwinds as they are one of the cheapest sources of protein,” he added.

In a separate note, MIDF Research said that new ceiling price would help to limit potentially larger adjustment that would add to the overall food inflation.

It also pointed out that the new ceiling price for chicken at RM9.40 per kg for Peninsular Malaysia is only an increase of 5.6% from the previous ceiling.

“So, this is smaller than the expected increase to around RM10 to RM12 per kg if chicken prices were to be floated.

“Meanwhile, the approval given to the Farmers’ Organisation Authority to bring more than 4,500 tonnes of chicken from Thailand is expected to stabilise chicken supply in the domestic market.

“We expect these measures will limit upward pressure on chicken price for now,” the research house said.

Going forward, MIDF Research foresees the government to continue exploring more initiatives to ease the upward pressures on food prices in the longer run.

-StarBiz By GANESHWARAN KANA ganeshwaran@thestar.com.my

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DEPRESSED wages, and a rising cost of living – these are the biggest tribulations facing the man on the street these days.

Needless to say, the lower income group is the one most affected but things have come to a stage where the Middle 40 (M40) group, especially those with families, is being dragged down and feeling the pinch too.

The biggest problem is that food –an unavoidable spending – is what takes up the bulk of the families’ budgets.

Chicken – a source of protein that cuts across all walks of life, creed and faith – tops the list of food. And keeping chicken prices down has become impossible.

Malaysia recorded a 2.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in the consumer price index, which measures inflation. Food inflation rose by 5.2%, which means food prices are rising faster than anything else.

And experts warned that the food bills will keep going up.

With food insecurity on one side, rising cost on the other, the question is: what can be done to survive this double-edged sword?

True, much of the work of controlling the surging inflation is in the hands of the government and market forces but what can be done at the individual level?

Some may suggest side gigs and part-time jobs to grow wealth but the more immediate and feasible measures will be a relook at personal spending and lifestyle changes, including dietary habits.

Cutting back on non-essential items, budgeting, doing cooking more at home and making diet changes may help.

Bank Islam chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid suggests a rethink on personal expenditure.

“The other is to look for additional income via part-time jobs. The third is to save and invest so the money will grow and hopefully, outperform the inflation,” he said.Sunway University Economics Prof Dr Yeah Kim Leng said that on the consumers part, they could explore cheaper substitutes, cut back on discretionary spending or reduce consumption.

They could also look for alternative sources of nutrients.

Singletons living with friends or housemates could pool groceries and cook meals together.

When it comes to takeouts, cutting down on using food delivery apps may help, as delivery charges make meals costlier. It’s cheaper to go out and buy them directly from the outlets.

Aside from that, buying groceries at a wholesale market instead of wet markets or grocery stories may also be a cheaper alternative.

Deputy dean of Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Assoc Prof Dr Barakatun Nisak Mohd Yusof noted that nutritious food will cost slightly more and a good meal must comprise food from all groups of the food pyramid

Citing a study, she said the food group that is likely to be affected is protein, as animal based protein such as meat and fish are the ones getting expensive.

She fears people may turn to starch which is relatively cheaper. There is also a fear that more people may turn to fast food or cheap but unhealthy alternatives like instant noodles.

Dr Barakatun said plant based protein such as dhall, beans, tauhu, tofu and tempeh are good alternatives.

“These are good sources of protein and are not only cheaper, but also contain fibre,” she said.

She said habitual meat eaters not accustomed to plant-based diets could incorporate such food slowly into their diet.

“It is not like you have to eat them daily. You can have them on alternate days or as part of a weekly meal plan,” she said.

As for vegetables, she also suggested consumption of “ulam”, a fairly affordable dish that could be easily grown in homes.

She said vegetables such as carrot, lady’s finger, cabbage and long beans could be bought in bulk as they can last longer.

While processed frozen food like sausages should be avoided, frozen chicken meat and fish can be consumed.

She also suggested freshwater fish such as catfish or keli, which remain affordable.

“We can also focus on local fruits,” she said.

She also suggested meal planning, such as pre-planing the simple dishes that can be cooked throughout the week. Groceries for the week can then be bought based on the plan.

Another interesting tip which Dr Barakatun shared was to segregate and pack ingredients according to the menu planned.

She felt meal prepping could then be turned into a fun family activity with kids.

These lifestyle changes will definitely not be easy but they could help stretch the ringgit and leave some extra cash in the wallet in these tough times. 

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Editor's Note:

NATO, which is constantly looking for imaginary enemies and justifying its existence by inciting confrontation, is holding a summit from Tuesday to Thursday, and it also plans to extend its tentacles to the Asia-Pacific region. Behind its aggressive narrative, contradictions and divisions within NATO have become increasingly prominent. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is not going according to NATO's playbook. This series of articles will provide some clues regarding NATO's predicament. This is the fifth piece.

NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was established in 1949, but to this day it remains an important tool for suppressing the opponents of the West. The initiative to unite 12 countries originally belonged to the United States, which became the most powerful world leader after the end of World War II. The US was the foundation of the organization's military power, a source of economic and financial assistance to member countries. It goes without saying that not only the highest command posts belonged to the Americans, but they also defined strategic objectives at all stages of NATO's activities. The main mission of this organization from the very beginning was the unification of military and economic resources under the command of the US to prepare an all-out war against the Soviet Union. The countries of another military bloc, the Warsaw Pact Organization (ATS), led by the USSR, also became enemies. It was created only six years after NATO - in 1955.

NATO played an important role in weakening the USSR and its allies. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991, the question arose about the feasibility of continuing the existence of NATO. But the US, which really ruled the bloc, set a new task for it - to involve former ATS member countries and post-Soviet republics in its structure. This was considered necessary to expand the zone of America's strict control over Europe as the most important part of the world at that time. NATO was also used to "sweep" the European space during the war against Yugoslavia. NATO and its de facto twin in the field of economics and politics - the European Union - were used in organizing the "color revolution" in Kiev and provoking the current Ukrainian crisis. In these situations, the US uses NATO as a tool for dirty work, saving the US from the loss of "precious American lives" and the risk of retaliatory strikes on the territory of the US.

NATO's successful fulfillment of its tasks in Europe led Washington to think about using the potential and experience of the bloc in another part of the world. Having recently identified China as the most serious threat to the international order, Washington is faced with a lack of resources to contain and suppress the growing Chinese power.

In order to mobilize the existing resources, the Biden administration has developed a concept of Indo-Pacific security, strongly resembling a similar concept for the North Atlantic. The concept has already been reinforced by the creation of the Indo-Pacific Command of the US Armed Forces. Already available resources were activated - military alliances with Japan, South Korea and Australia. The AUKUS military group was created. The activity of the QUAD military-diplomatic group is stimulated. The creation of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework was recently announced. But even these actions are not enough for Washington.

Therefore, it is urgently necessary to extend the scope of NATO's responsibility to the Indo-Pacific region as well. Obviously, US efforts are aimed at uniting all Asian and European allies, their military, economic and geostrategic resources to create a new tool for the realization of American global ambitions. It can be conditionally called the Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization according to the patterns of NATO.

Of course, the arrival of NATO to the East, especially since the new military bloc of the West, will threaten the security interests of Russia as a Pacific power. But first of all, it will be directed against China. Strengthening the militarization of the region will also contradict the interests of economic stability and security of ASEAN, APEC and other groupings of the region.

Serious obstacles may arise in the way of implementing Biden's chess game. We are not talking about the fluctuations of European satellites in NATO such as "ready for anything" Poland, the "Baltic troika" or the Balkan neoplasms. It is unlikely that we will talk about England with its age-old anti-Chinese traditions and loyalty to Washington at the level of a conditioned reflex. But such large "stakeholders" as Germany, France, Spain and Italy may think hard about the consequences of entering into a military confrontation with China, taking into account their trade and economic interests.

These powers are well aware of the benefits of bilateral trade with China, which amount to tens and hundreds of billions of euros. They are also aware of the intention of the White House to lift trade sanctions against China in an attempt to bring down the threatening increase in inflation. The role of trade and economic "cannon fodder" is unlikely to entice figures claiming some level of independence even within the framework of NATO. In Madrid, the leaders of significant European powers are unlikely to voice their doubts, but then they will try to "put on the brakes" in implementation of Biden's Indo-Pacific plan.

Another important reason for avoiding the dubious honor of becoming a member of the anti-Chinese coalition may be Washington's inconsistency. Just two years ago, then US president Donald Trump reproached NATO member countries for the insufficiency of military efforts, the desire to "ride for free" and even promised to dissolve the military bloc. What will happen after the next presidential election? Will Trump come back? Won't those business and political circles that oppose the dispersion of the waning power of their power, for the concentration of resources on solving domestic economic and humanitarian problems, win?

Europeans are already suffering losses from following Biden's anti-China course. The ratification of the China-Europe Comprehensive Investment Agreement has been disrupted. Taking into account the hostile policy of Poland and the Baltic countries, Chinese logistics companies are reviewing the routes of goods delivery to Europe via the Silk Road. Beijing is studying the experience of "crippling sanctions" against Russia. After all, Washington has threatened to impose similar sanctions not only in case of the aggravation of the situation around the Taiwan island, but even if China refuses to participate in sanctions against Russia.

The US' convulsive attempts to return itself to the role of world hegemon are unlikely to succeed. But they can cause considerable harm to mutually beneficial relations between countries, which will be difficult to compensate quickly.

The author is head of the "Russian Dream-Chinese Dream" analytic center of the Izborsk Club. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn 

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G7 to raise US$600bil to counter China's initiative

 

 Top shots: Leaders of the G7 at the gathering in southern Germany. Biden and other leaders relaunched the newly renamed “Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment” at the annual event. — AFP

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G7’s $600 billion PGII met with skepticism, mockery

US' program eyes geopolitics; 'objective impure'   

Protesters hold banners reading "Global justice - climate protection instead of armament" among others, during a demonstration against the G7 Summit, on June 27, 2022 near Elmau Castle, southern Germany, where the G7-leaders are gathered. Photo: AFP

 

After US president Joe Biden and leaders from other Group of Seven (G7) nations proposed to raise $600 billion in the next five years to finance infrastructure projects in developing countries, a move generally interpreted by observers as intending to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), economists expressed skepticism over the feasibility of such a program, citing reasons such as the US' strained government debt status, poor infrastructure construction abilities and past failure with a similar project.

They also criticized the G7 proposal for having an "insincere" intention, as it was raised more from the perspective of launching a political competition with China, instead of really caring about the infrastructure situations in lower income countries. In this sense, it is unlikely to yield any project that could compare with China's flagship BRI projects, which focus on mutual connectivity, win-win, not decoupling and exclusionism.

Government leaders from Group of Seven nations made a pledge on Sunday at their annual gathering to raise $600 billion in private and public funds over the next five years to finance infrastructure in developing countries, in a project called the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), a Reuters report noted on Monday.

US president Joe Biden said that the US aims to mobilize $200 billion for the PGII project over the period through grants, federal funds and private investment to support projects that help tackle climate change, improve global health, digital infrastructure and gender equity. He highlighted several flagship projects, including a $2 billion solar development project in Angola, the report noted.

Europe will mobilize 300 billion euros for the initiative, Reuters said.

On the sidelines of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Germany, Biden said that the PGII is not aid or charity, but will "deliver returns for everyone", including the American people, according to a report by npr.org on Sunday.

The G7 nations launched the PGII project only about one year after a very similar scheme was unveiled at the G7 conference last July. The scheme, named Build Back Better World, commonly known as B3W, is considered by many media outlets as a predecessor to the PGII. UK newspaper The Guardian, for example, used the word "relaunch" to imply that PGII is just a disguised version of B3W.

Insincere intention

Although the US government didn't explicitly mention the relationship between PGII and the China-proposed BRI program, many media outlets including Reuters as well as economists mentioned that the real intention of PGII is to counter China's BRI which has delivered many concrete projects since it was proposed in 2013.

Hu Qimu, chief research fellow at the Beijing-based Sinosteel Economic Research Institute, said that China's global infrastructure cooperation has continued to yield results in recent years, standing in sharp contrast to some Western governments' "dereliction of duty" in this area.

"The PGII is like a shouted slogan to ring-fence China's strategies, a kind of tactic to create an atmosphere of cracking down on China," Hu said, adding that it could also be a method used by Biden to pander to voters ahead of the US mid-term elections.

Another international relations expert who requested anonymity also said that the US, which has no tradition of helping other countries in the field of infrastructure, would not suddenly change and take to the idea. "The real intent is to counter China's projects and compete with China," the person said.

Observers found that the PGII's two pillars of clean energy and information/communications technology are particularly hostile to China, as the West has been smearing China over issues related to the solar power industry in Xinjiang and China's 5G technology, using security concerns as an excuse.

Commenting on this policy direction, experts criticized the US-led program for lacking the sincerity of really caring about the infrastructure situations in developing countries, saying instead that it had a very "impure" objective.

"If the G7 group only targets China's overseas infrastructure market for competition, history will prove that this kind of top-level planning that lacks the concept of common development will only become another short-lived project," Wang Jianjiao, director of the economic and trade cooperation department under the Silk Road Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

Wang also noted that only when the US gives up its global cooperation model, which often attaches "unequal additional conditions", gets rid of its own debt predicament and reinvigorates the US' real economy will it have a chance of competing with China in overseas infrastructure markets.

Unfeasible project

Economists also noted that the PGII and its promised funding volume by the US government is never likely to become reality, considering the US' internal economic problems and unstable political situation.

Qiu Wenxu, director of the industry development department under the Silk Road Academy of Social Sciences, said that if the US government really intends to materialize the $200 billion funding, it is unlikely to come mostly from private capital, as infrastructure projects have long investment cycles and relatively low yield rates, making them unattractive to private investors.

"However, at the current time when the US' government debt is at a critically high level and it has hardly any budget to invest in foreign-bound infrastructure, Biden still needs to raise most of the money from private companies. In this sense, it's very likely that the $200 billion fund can't be raised to the full number," Qiu told the Global Times on Monday.

He further stressed that the US does not have advantages in infrastructure construction, pointing out that it has hardly completed any large infrastructure projects in its own country in the past 10 years, not to mention abroad. For example, California's high-speed rail, a flagship US infrastructure project, is "tens of billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule," according to a report by kqed.org in May.

Some experts also noted that the US' changing political situation is also casting uncertainties over implementation of the funding.

"It would be even more difficult to convince the US Congress to invest overseas, if after the midterm elections the Democrats lose the majority of House of Representatives," Lü Xiang, an expert on US studies and research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times, on Monday.

In fact, analysts have pointed out that the PGII funding would in fact add liability to Biden's already poor approval rating in the US, given the much weakened domestic economy due to galloping inflation, among other social issues.

The difficulties in raising funds for such a project were already shown in the PGII's predecessor project B3W, which some media outlets and people regarded as a failure. An article by Foreign Affairs, for example, said that the B3W project has " languished", while a Guardian report noted that "little had been heard of" B3W since its launch.

According to the Foreign Affairs article, the US' commitments to global infrastructure renewal only came to about $6 million under the B3W project in one year after its launch, which is "a far cry" from the billions Biden promised at the beginning.

"Judging from the B3W implementation, it has high probability that the PGII will be another empty promise," Qiu said.

BRI success to continue

Economists also said that even with competition and certain countries' attempts to smear the BRI, the benefits and achievements of BRI is obvious to all, and that BRI investment will likely continue to surge in the future regardless of the volatile global political situation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday that China welcomes any initiative to promote global construction of infrastructure. "We believe that one initiative is not meant to replace another. However, we oppose the act of using the name of infrastructure to promote geopolitical schemes," he said.

Liang Haiming, dean of the Belt and Road Institute at Hainan University, also told the Global Times that even if Western countries loan money to developing countries to build infrastructure projects, China might benefit from such a program, as many countries would purchase China's construction materials as they are known for being cost effective.

Qiu also said that China's BRI has become one of the largest international cooperation platforms in past years, as the country does not view infrastructure construction projects as the ultimate purpose, but aims to help countries consolidate economic development foundations by improving their infrastructure construction.

In the first five months, China's non-financial foreign direct investment in countries along the BRI route rose 10.2 percent to about $8.2 billion, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed. 

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Take second boosters

New Covid-19 infection wave may emerge sooner than forecast

Senior citizens and individuals with chronic illnesses have been reminded to take their second Covid-19 booster shots as a potential new Covid-19 infection wave may emerge sooner than forecast, says the Health Minister.

Khairy Jamaluddin said this was based on the number of cases reported in recent days both here and across the Causeway.

“Over the past two to three days we have been reporting more than 2,000 cases a day against 1,000 and 2,000 previously.

“Today (Thursday), we have 2,796 cases with two new clusters reported at institutions of higher learning.

“So if we are not cautious, the cases will keep on increasing in the coming weeks,” he told reporters after officially opening the otorhinolaryngology centre and sleep lab at Hospital Rembau.

On Tuesday, Khairy said Covid-19 cases would fluctuate and a potential new infection wave might emerge in the next few months, despite the current situation being under control.

He said Malaysians ought to know the latest developments so that they can take preventive measures against contracting the virus.

Young patients: Khairy visiting a ward for children with hearing problems after officially opening the otorhinolaryngology centre and sleep lab at Hospital Rembau. — Bernama

“This is more of a preventive measure so that we are ready and not to scare anyone. In fact, other nations have faced a similar situation,” he said.

Khairy said what was important was that the new wave was not as contagious and that the number of deaths and admissions into intensive care units remained low.

He said all states except Selangor, Johor, Kedah and Terengganu have reported an increase in the number of cases compared with the previous day while two new higher education clusters have also been reported.

“It is also my hope that those above 60 and those with chronic illnesses will take the second booster shot as this is the best way to keep them safe,” he said.

As of June 20, almost 108,000 individuals aged 12 years and above have received their second Covid-19 booster jabs. About 58,000 were aged above 60.

Khairy said he was also closely following the Covid-19 situation in Singapore.

“I have to do so because Malaysia and Singapore are in the same epidemiological area with no travel restrictions and hundreds of thousands crossing the Causeway daily.

“My Singapore counterpart has also told me that the republic has been seeing more BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants which were more transmissible than earlier variants,” he said, adding that these variants, however, had the same effect as other Omicron variants. 

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