PRICE-FIXING BY ASSOCIATIONS PROHIBITED - ARMIZAN

PUTRAJAYA, March 31 (Bernama) -- Any form of agreement, understanding or collective decision by associations regarding price-setting, including minimum or ceiling fares, is prohibited as it contains elements of a cartel that could harm the country’s tourism market, says Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.

He said the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) was examining the actions of the associations involved under Section 4(2)(a) of the Competition Act 2010.

“The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living views seriously the substance of the press conference by the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA), which was also attended by three other associations and bodies yesterday, announcing new ceiling fare rates for tour buses or vans with immediate effect.

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“Although it is understood that the increase in diesel prices has cost implications for the industry, all parties are urged to carefully consider any actions taken to ensure compliance with existing legal frameworks,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Yesterday, MITA announced that tour bus fares were now set at up to RM1,100 for series tours and between RM1,900 and RM2,200 for domestic day tours, while van rental costs were up to RM900 for series tours.

MITA said the new ceiling fare rates for tour buses and vans were set to help operators and tourists adjust to rising diesel prices.

According to MITA, the move was taken as tour buses, vans and ferries were not included in the national diesel subsidy mechanism following the removal of blanket subsidies in 2024.

-- BERNAMA