PUTRAJAYA: The government has no plans to postpone enforcing the ceiling price for antigen rapid test kits (RTK) for individual use.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government needed to strike a balance when it comes to the interests of suppliers, sellers and the people during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The ministry is aware that any postponement of the effective date of the ceiling price of self-screening kits, to merely allow sellers and suppliers to sell off its old stock (of self test kits), would negatively affect the people.
"We need to have a balance between the suppliers, sellers and the people right now. If we give a month's time (for sellers) to finish their old stock, then it will be the public who will be largely affected.
"The public would be forced to pay up to RM40 to purchase a self-testing kit for the next one month just so that sellers can get rid of the old stock," he told reporters today.
Khairy said a decision had been made on the ceiling price, and certain parties such as suppliers and sellers would be dissatisfied over it.
"Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi and I are in favour of consumers who want the price of the self-screening kits to be reduced and for this ceiling price to be imposed as soon as possible. The decision has been made. Move on," he said.
Yesterday, it was announced that the retail price for Covid-19 RTK antigen self-screening tests would be capped at RM19.90 each, while the wholesale price was set at RM16 per kit, starting this Sunday (Sept 5).
However, Malaysian Pharmaceutical Association president Amrahi Buang had requested for the implementation of the ceiling price be delayed.
The association had said this would allow retailers to finish up the stock of current Covid-19 self-screening RTK antigen kits to be sold at the current price.
Khairy said the ministry would take similar actions to reduce costs and set a ceiling price for the Reverse Polymerase-Transcription (RT-PCR) test, which is currently sold for at least RM150.
"We are looking at the same way for RT-PCR. It is still a work in progress but we want to look at self-screening RTK antigen kit first," he said.
