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Govt must intervene to stabilize market: House
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo speaks in a Cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta. He said the government’s decision to allow the importation of food commodities was aimed at maintaining their supply and stabilizing prices during Ramadhan and the Idul Fitri festivities. (Courtesy of the Presidential Office/-)
T
he House of Representatives has called on the government to intervene in the market to control the increasing prices of staple foods, House Speaker Ade Komarudin has said.
“Some 40 percent of the staple foods should be controlled by the government, while another 60 percent can be decided by market mechanisms,” Ade, a senior politician with the Golkar Party said on Friday.
The State Logistic Agency (Bulog) could be authorized to control the market because it has experience doing so, he added.
As usual, the prices of basic commodities have increased significantly prior to the fasting month of Ramadhan because of increasing demand.
Consumers mostly complain about a jump in the price of beef in Jakarta that has already reached Rp 150,000 (US$11), up from about Rp 100,000 in previous weeks.
In response to the increases, the government has allowed the importation of 27,400 tons of beef, 381,000 tons of raw sugar and 2,500 tons of onions to help stabilize prices during Ramadhan and prior to the Idul Fitri celebration.
The government also import 2,500 tons of shallots to meet the demand for seeds required by farmers one to two months ahead. Currently, the price of seeds sits at Rp 42,000 to Rp 43,000 per kilogram. (bbn)
