Sandakan-Tawi-Tawi trading remains active

THE Sabah crisis brought about by the incursion of some of the followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III has not affected the activities between the traders from province of Tawi-Tawi and Sandakan, officials said.

Sandakan is the second-largest city of Sabah, which maintains a good trading relationship with Tawi-Tawi, a component province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).

Armm Trade and Industry Secretary Sangkula Tindick said the exchange of goods and the flow of business between the two trading points remain even at the height of the Sabah standoff.

Tindick said there is no reason for prices of commodities in Tawi-Tawi to go up.

“We call on local traders and retailers in the province not to take advantage of the situation,” Tindick added, adding that they are closely monitoring prices and supply of commodities like rice and fuel.

Tindick said fuel prices in Sitangkai, an island-town in the province, are still comparatively lower than in Bongao, the province’ capital, and Zamboanga City.

He convened on Friday the province’s Price Coordinating Council to help ensure that market price of basic and prime commodities is stable.

Armm acting Governor Mujiv Hataman had earlier given directives to concerned government agencies to preempt possible food shortage in the province.

“Steps are already being taken to ensure that there will be sufficient supply of food and other commodities including fuel,” said Hataman who heads the Crisis Management Committee handling monitoring the Sabah crisis.

Hataman has ordered the establishment of a baseline data on food and fuel consumption in the area as a preemptive measure and to allow the government to prepare for any contingency.

Armm has earmarked P5 million to cater to the immediate needs of the deportees as the regional government is working closely with counterparts in Zamboanga Peninsula and the National Government to address the ongoing Sabah crisis. (Bong Garcia)