KUALA LUMPUR: A consortium comprising over 3,000 retail outlets offering cheaper essential items to consumers will be set up soon.
National Cooperative Movement of Malaysia Bhd (Angkasa) president Datuk Abdul Fattah Abdullah said it would serve as a coordinator to supply daily necessities at affordable prices to controln manipulated by middlemen, resulting in the rising cost of goods and essentials.
Abdul Fattah said Angkasa would also work with the National Farmers' Association (Nafas) and the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) to expand the supply chain of agriculture products to more target groups.
He said the retail outlets under the coordination of Angkasa will be able to sell items between five and 15 per cent cheaper.
Abdul Fattah said cooperatives may also become part of suppliers if the outlets are merged into a consortium.
"Angkasa will lead in terms of monitoring and credit facilities of about RM10,000.
"So, the cooperative outlets will source the goods from suppliers and Angkasa will make the payments to the latter," he said.
He said the move was aimed at offering goods at competitive prices while creating a holistic business ecosystem.
It was reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, is mulling the setting up of a wholesale cooperative, said it would be able to supply goods in bulk at cheap prices to all cooperatives.
This would enable consumers to buy necessities at cheaper prices from some 1,500 cooperatives nationwide.
He had said the government would continue to implement various programmes, including the Malaysian Family Sale in all the parliamentary constituencies held twice a month to help ease the financial burden of the people.
