Gov’t Steps Up Market Operation to Control Food Stocks, Prices
Rice stock at the Logistic Company Bulog. (Photo: Ministry of SOE)
The Government has announced it continues to redouble efforts to maintain availability and affordability of staple food prices.
According to Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, one of the measures is by conducting food market operations, which aim to maintain stability of food prices so that they remain affordable for the public, given the rise in prices of several food commodities lately.
“Today I inspected the market to review cooking oil price. The cooking oil is sold at Rp14,000. Prices of rice and sugar are also quite affordable,” Airlangga said during the inspection to a traditional market in Bintan regency, Riau Islands province, Monday (24/1).
For the record, the market operation was held in collaboration between Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Food Security Agency of Ministry of Agriculture, state-owned logistic company Bulog, the Indonesia State Bank (BNI), the Riau Islands Provincial Government, the Bintan Regency Government, PT Musim Mas, and Mitra Tani Market.
Some of the commodities sold at affordable prices in this activity include rice, cooking oil, shallots, garlic, red chilies, green chilies, chicken eggs, tapioca flour, frozen chicken, and sugar.
Garlic is sold at Rp27,000 per kilogram, cheaper than the average price as of 24 January 2022 in Riau Islands province at Rp29,850 per kilogram (based on data from the National Strategic Food Price Information Center).
In this market operation, Toko Tani Indonesia Center also provides a number of commodities, including 500 kilograms of TTI rice, 500 kilograms of Gurindam premium rice, 50 trays of chicken eggs, 50 kilograms of shallots, 50 kilograms of garlic, 30 kilograms of potatoes, 100 kilograms of granulated sugar, 50 kilograms of red chilies, 10 kilograms of green chilies, 50 kilograms of tapioca flour, 15 kilograms of frozen chicken and 15 kilograms of Burmese shallots.
Meanwhile, Bulog provides 1 ton of premium rice, 500 kilograms of medium CBP rice, 1,000 liters of cooking oil, 1 ton of sugar, 50 kilograms of buffalo meat, and 100 kilograms of flour.
“We will maintain the supply so that the price will not increase again. Goods availability guarantees price stability,” said Airlangga.
On that occasion, the Minister also had a dialogue with several traders and buyers at the Barek Motor Kijang Market and witnessed the symbolic handover of the People’s Business Credit (KUR) assistance from the BNI to three representatives of market traders.
The KUR is also expected to help their business capital survive amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Government provides a subsidy of 3 percent of the KUR interest rate in the first 6 months this year. This is an opportunity for traders and SMEs to get the KUR. This year the ceiling has also increased from Rp285 trillion to Rp373 trillion,” he remarked. (PR of Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs/UN) (EST/EP)
