PUTRAJAYA: Price management of consumer goods which is seen to have a direct impact on the cost of living, is one of the main focuses of the Economy Ministry, said its minister Rafizi Ramli.

He said as the ministry responsible for managing the national economy, two economy-related matters that are very important among the people at the moment, are the issue of the price of goods and salary.

"Some people are asking why is the Economy Ministry always talking about the prices of goods when the ministry is into big projects, 10-year projections and so forth.

"These are often being talked about as they have the greatest impact on the people," he told a press conference in conjunction with the release of the Dec 2022 Consumer Price Index (CPI) data here today.

He said if the Opposition wants to continue to play up the issue of inflation and the price of goods, that is up to an individual's assessment.

"I'm confident Malaysians are smart enough. They know the figures and are able to compare what happened a year or two ago.

"That's why efforts to manage the price of goods must be continuous and we need to communicate with the people from one month to the next so that they know we are trying our best with everything that WE have.

"The only thing is certain matters can be dealt immediately while others may take time," he added.

-- BERNAMA