The Jakarta administration's plan to open another 42 convenience stores under the Jakmart brand by the end of 2017 has been given the green light by the city council, which considers them important for food supply.

"Councilors have been familiarized with the Jakmart business model currently developed by PD Pasar Jaya. It is in line with our goal to ensure food security for the public," city councilor Prabowo Soenirman of Commission B, which oversees the economy, said on Tuesday.

He added that the prices of goods sold at the market should be lower than at similar stores and adjusted with people's purchasing power.

Currently, there are two Jakmart stores in the capital.

PD Pasar Jaya president director Arief Nasrudin has said that the stores have begun selling more than 600 products. He claimed the prices were slightly lower than at any other convenience store in the city.

Arief said he planned to build the stores in many promising spots of the city, including near governmental offices and Mass Rapid Transit stations. (fac)