Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) has set its sights on raising the Consumer Empowerment Index (CEI) to 70 percent, up from the existing level of 63 percent. Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh expressed the ministry's commitment to enhancing consumer knowledge and empowerment through various awareness initiatives conducted in collaboration with consumer non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across the nation.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Fuziah emphasized the importance of nurturing smart consumers who are aware of their choices and actively participate in addressing geopolitical challenges. She made these remarks during the National Consumer Policy (DPN) 2.0 Advocacy Programme and Consumer Talk, an event also attended by state KPDN director Lilis Saslinda Pornomo.

The CEI serves as a crucial metric for evaluating consumer knowledge, skills, and confidence, reflecting the extent to which consumers understand their rights and make informed purchasing decisions. Dr Fuziah also highlighted that the DPN 2.0 Advocacy Programme and Consumer Talk aimed to equip consumers with the necessary tools to navigate global economic challenges effectively.

She elaborated that DPN 2.0, built on five core pillars, seeks to empower consumers with a deeper comprehension of current economic conditions. The programme encourages proactive financial management in response to rising prices caused by global supply chain disruptions. A key initiative under DPN 2.0 is the Skuad Kita Pengguna (SKiP), a KPDN-established platform designed to disseminate accurate information to the public.

As of March, SKiP had enrolled 32,660 members nationwide and conducted 18 training programmes focused on consumer awareness, marking significant progress in consumer empowerment efforts.