The figures increased slightly from K7,015 per viss registered last week end­ing 1 December. The wholesale reference rate continued rising from K6,320 during the week ending 3 November to K7,305 per viss this week, showing a sharp in­crease of K255 per viss, according to the Supervisory Committee on edible oil import and distribution.

The Supervisory Committee on Edi­ble Oil Import and Distribution under the Ministry of Commerce has been closely observing the FOB prices in Malaysia and Indonesia, adding transport costs, tariffs and banking services to decide the wholesale market reference rate for edible oil weekly.

Despite the reference price, the mar­ket price is way too high.

To control overcharging, the Con­sumer Affairs Department under the Ministry of Commerce informed the consumers of lodging the complaints for overcharging through the call centre hotline in late August. The department urges consumers not to buy palm oil at high prices.

The committee notified that any person who is involved in price gouging and oil storage to attempt market ma­nipulation will face legal action under the Essential Goods and Services Law.

The department is working together with the Myanmar Oil Dealers’ Asso­ciation and the cooking oil importing companies to offer affordable rates of imported palm oil for consumers.

The complaints for overcharging can be lodged over hotline 1535 of the call centre of the Consumers Affairs De­partment or sent to the Facebook page of the department and the region and state departments concerned.

The domestic consumption of palm oil is estimated at one million tonnes per year. The local palm oil production is just about 400,000 tonnes. About 700,000 tonnes of palm oil are yearly imported through Malaysia and Indonesia to meet domestic demands. — NN/KK