KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — The nationwide implementation of ‘Program Jualan Malaysia’ (Malaysia Sales Programme) or PJM 2022 initiative throughout the year will enable people to shop at cheaper prices as well as help revive the retail sector affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government had allocated RM10 million under the 2022 Budget to support the initiative, adding that it targeted to achieve sales amounting to RM500 billion this year.

“It is a two-pronged effort by the government to stabilise the prices of goods in the market as well as help the retail sector recover to pre-pandemic level in 2019 which recorded sales value of RM537.6 billion.

“The contribution of the retail sector is very significant to the country’s recovery. This sector contributed 17.2 per cent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019 and generated two million job opportunities for the Malaysian market,” he said at the national-level PJM  2022 launching ceremony here today.

His speech text was read by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

Ismail Sabri said the implementation of PJM 2022 by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) was based on the 3R concept (recovery, revitalise and revive).

He said beginning this month until the end of the year, KPDNHEP would coordinate eight major sales segments planned under the programme including the festive season segment, mega sales, year-end sales as well as special sales nationwide.

“Based on the inclusivity concept of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family), I also hope that industry players will reward the employees who are the backbone of their business,” he said, adding that under the PJM 2022 initiative, the sales campaigns would be carried out in compliance with the new norms.

“Standard Operating Procedures of Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan have also outlined the measures that must be followed by all industry players to ensure that consumers can shop safely,” he said.

He said Malaysia was on the right track towards recovery with the reopening of more than 90 per cent of the economic sector and most social activities after nearly all the country’s population have been fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus and 40 per cent of them have received their booster jab.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said the sales promotion of necessity goods which was launched at the People’s Housing Projects in the Kerinchi parliamentary constituency in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 2 last year to help ease the people’s burden has been expanded to 222 parliamentary constituencies nationwide.

He said under this segment the price of goods is 20 per cent cheaper, adding that it received a good response from the people.

Ismail Sabri said he would also chair the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL) to help the government in its efforts to deal with the rising prices of goods.

Meanwhile, during a press conference held after the launch, Nanta said 300,000 premises would take part in the PJM 2022 initiative nationwide.