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Mask and hand sanitizer shortage caused by increased demand, not stockpiling, police say
National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Asep Adi Saputra said that the conclusion was based on inspections of minimarkets, pharmacies and traditional markets over the past several weeks.
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The Jakarta Police raided a warehouse in Cakung, East Jakarta, which was allegedly used as an illegal mask factory, on Feb. 28. The police alleged the warehouse was used for producing and stockpiling regular masks, which had cause a scarcity of the goods in the market and a hike in their prices. (JP/Galih Gumelar)
T
he National Police concluded that the mask and hand sanitizer shortage across much of the country is due to a spike in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than mass stockpiling or hoarding.
“At the moment, we have found that the skyrocketing demand for masks and hand sanitizer has caused both goods to be unavailable in the market,” National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Asep Adi Saputra said in a statement on Wednesday.
Asep said the conclusion was based on police inspections of minimarkets, pharmacies and traditional markets over the past several weeks.
“But we will continue to explore and investigate the possibility [of mass hoarding], with the police’s food security task force being the leader of the investigation,” he added.
Earlier this month, the police had named 30 suspects across Indonesia for allegedly hoarding masks and hand sanitizer in order to sell them for higher prices as people have been hunting for both items in an effort to protect themselves from the virus. The police also confiscated 822 boxes of masks and 138 boxes of hand sanitizer.
The suspects were charged under Article 107 of the 2014 Trade Law, which stipulates that producers or traders who stockpile goods and contribute to scarcity in the market, thus artificially increasing prices, face a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rp 50 billion (US$3.57 million) upon conviction. (glh)
