Malaysia Grocers

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 (Bernama) — Malaysians have been enjoying subsidised sugar since 1974 and the current retail price is the lowest in the region. Thus when the Malaysian Consumer Association’s President Tan Sri Darshan Singh Gill proposed that the subsidy be scrapped for good to help Malaysians reduce sugar intake, it caused consternation among consumers. The reaction comes of no surprise when the price of sugar is capped at RM1.45 per kilo in Peninsula and RM1.55 in Sabah and Sarawak in spite of the rising cost in importing sugar. It is so cheap that even some of our Indonesian, Singaporean and Thai neighbours source their sugar supply from Malaysia. The price cap has inadvertently created a lucrative black market for subsidised sugar where smugglers and profiteers thrive on. THE BITTER SIDE OF SUGAR Continue Reading…

SINGAPORE: Doing good really does pay, with a global survey finding more than six in 10 people would buy, and recommend, a brand that gave back to society or helped the environment, even if it wasn’t the cheapest.

Sixty-four percent of respondents to the “Good Purpose” poll of just over 6,000 consumers, by public relations firm Edelman, also said they expected brands today to support good causes.

More than two-thirds said they would switch brands if another, similar-quality product supported a good cause. Continue Reading…

IPOH, Dec 19 (Bernama) — The implementation of the goods and services tax (GST)is a means of placing the country’s economy at a level that is at par with those of developed nations and in keeping with changing times, said Second Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.

He said the GST implementation gave the government an advantage,particularly in enhancing income flow, which can then be used to implement projects for the benefit of the people.

“Only three countries in the South-East Asian region do not practice this taxation system, that is Malaysia, Brunei and Myanmar. Brunei does not have a taxation system and we will join 143 other countries in implementing the GST. Continue Reading…

Malaysia is to introduce a new goods and services tax in mid-2011 to broaden its revenue base and help reduce a budget deficit currently running at its biggest in over 20 years, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.

The new tax, charged at a rate of 4 per cent, is expected by the government to raise RM1 billion a year more than an existing sales tax that is projected to raise RM7.8 billion ringgit (US$2.31 billion) in 2010.

Total federal government revenues are expected to be RM148 billion in 2010, government data shows. “The tax will reduce the fiscal deficit and will not burden the people and businesses,” Second Finance Minister Husni Ahmad Hanadzlah told reporters. Continue Reading…

MUADZAM SHAH: It was a heart-wrenching sight for workers of a dairy farm here yesterday as thousands of litres of milk were sent gushing to the ground.

First Dairy Farm (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Mohd Alwi Abdullah could only shake his head in disbelief.

Crying over spilt milk at the largest dairy producer in the peninsula is becoming routine after several manufacturers of dairy-based products rejected the supply.

The farm has disposed of some 90,000 litres of milk, worth more than RM250,000, since early this month. Continue Reading…

WASHINGTON (Dec 15, 2009): People who drink the most coffee and tea, even decaffeinated versions, can dramatically lower their risk of diabetes, researchers reported on Monday.

Their study does not answer why this might be but strengthens the findings of earlier studies showing the beverages may prevent type-2 diabetes.

“Every additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a 7% reduction in the excess risk of diabetes,” Rachel Huxley of The University of Sydney in Australia and an international team of colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Continue Reading…

Commodities Talk – By Hanim Adna

PALM oil future exports will be at risk if one were to fully grasp the damaging impact from Unilever’s action to suspend its palm oil purchases from Indonesian producer Sinar Mas group following serious allegations of violations of environmental practices by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Greenpeace.

Failure by Sinar Mas to rebut Greenpeace’s allegations could start a precedent whereby other overseas buyers would boycott palm oil purchases and label palm oil as “unsustainable.”

This will directly hamper efforts by the members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to produce certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). Continue Reading…

PETALING JAYA: Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd has appointed Soren Ravn managing director effective March 1, 2010.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, it said Ravn, the managing director of Carlsberg Hong Kong and Macau, would replace Soren Holm Jensen. Continue Reading…

One of Tiger Woods’ major sponsors won’t feature the world’s most valuable athlete in its marketing while he takes time off to repair his personal life.

Gillette’s announcement Saturday marks the first major sponsor of the superstar athlete and corporate pitchman to distance itself from Woods.

“As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs,” said Gillette, a division of Procter & Gamble. Continue Reading…