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Jakarta fights 'beef mafia' with subsidized bazaars
City-sponsored bazaars being held in several locations across the capital will help residents purchase beef at an affordable price amid the current skyrocketing prices, Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat said on Friday.
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People wait in line to buy subsidized staple foods from a city-sponsored bazaar at the Palmerah Market in West Jakarta on June 9. The Jakarta administration is holding discount staple food bazaars to help stabilize rising prices during Ramadhan. (thejakartapost.com/Callistasia Anggun Wijaya)
C
ity-sponsored bazaars being held in several locations across the capital will help residents purchase beef at an affordable price amid the current skyrocketing prices, Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat said on Friday.
The Jakarta administration has also secured a permit from the Agriculture Ministry to import frozen beef from New Zealand and Australia to maintain supply during Ramadhan, he said.
The subsidized food bazaars aim to mitigate the rising prices allegedly caused by cartel practices in the beef industry.
“By proving that the administration has the budget and supplies to fulfill the public's needs, we also want to pressure wholesalers who sell staple foods at high prices to lower their prices,” he told journalists at City Hall on Friday.
Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has said the administration had obtained a permit from Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman to import more frozen beef through city-owned slaughterhouse operator PD Dharma Jaya.
“The Agriculture Ministry has allowed the city to import beef to fulfill the needs of people who live in low-cost apartments or hold a Jakarta Smart Card (KJP)," he said adding that the selling price will start at Rp 39,000 (US$2.9) per kilogram, far lower than the current average price of Rp 110,000 per kilogram.
The administration has budgeted Rp 7.4 billion to subsidize 120 tons of frozen beef and 55 tons of chicken for the program. (rin)
