Gov’t Readies for Policy to Anticipate Rises in Staple Food Price

President Jokowi (Photo by: BPMI Presidential Secretariat/Rusman)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Saturday (21/05) reiterated that all countries at the moment is faced with the possibility of a spike in in staple food and energy prices.

“This will not be easy,” President Jokowi said in his remarks at the Opening of the 2022 Projo V National Working Meeting in Magelang regency, Central Java province.

According to the President, the Government continues to make efforts for preventing a spike in prices of two commodities, cited an example of the policy of export ban of cooking oil so the price of cooking oil in the domestic market returns to stable.

“The domestic prices are affected since the global price of cooking oil, especially in Europe and US, is high,” President Jokowi said, adding that the rising price of cooking oil caused the manufacturers prefers to export cooking oil rather than sell it domestically; thus, the cooking oil domestic price rose due to scarcity of stocks.

Nevertheless, the President remain optimistic that in next two weeks the price of cooking oil on the domestic market will reach the desired price.

“In the next one or two weeks, with God willing, the price of bulk cooking oil will be at Rp14,000 (per liter),” he said.

On this occasion, the Head of State also expressed relief for the stable rice price and stock. “Normally, we import 1.1 million to 2 million tons of rice per year, but we have not done that for three years. We must maintain it,” he remarked. (BPMI Presidential Secretariat/UN) (GWH/HD)