Consumers have beef with price rise<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The price of beef in traditional markets continued to soar on
\nSaturday and will likely keep increasing until the end of the
\nholiday season, resulting in disappointment for those customers
\nwho find the prices to be beyond their means.<\/p>\n
Lenny, 40, a housewife who was shopping in Palmerah market in
\nCentral Jakarta, said on Saturday that the hikes had just added
\nanother burden to her family in celebrating the Idul Fitri
\nholiday.<\/p>\n
"It's too expensive. It's unaffordable. Before Ramadhan, the
\nprice was usually around Rp 26,000 per kilogram, now it's around
\nRp 36,000, and I think it will rise even more as Idul Fitri
\napproaches," she said.<\/p>\n
A similar complaint was made by Andri, 20, who usually does
\nher shopping in Kebayoran market in South Jakarta. She said that
\nmany people would not be able to afford beef if the price kept on
\nincreasing.<\/p>\n
"It used to be Rp 32,000, but now it has increased to Rp
\n38,000. I just can't afford it anymore," she said.<\/p>\n
The prices of vegetables, meat and other staples normally
\nincrease at the beginning of the Ramadhan fasting month due to
\nhigher demand, as many people want to eat better food for the
\nbreaking of the fast.<\/p>\n
It is even thought that the price of beef could jump to
\nbetween Rp 50,000 and Rp 55,000, helped along by the imposition
\nof value added tax on imported beef.<\/p>\n
One of the traders in Palmerah market, Jamad, 38, said that
\nprice increases were common during Ramadhan. "It's just a
\ntemporary hike," he said.<\/p>\n
Because this happens every year, Asiah, 55, who was shopping
\nin Palmerah market, said she was not surprised.<\/p>\n
She said she was tired of complaining about the rising prices
\nand, as an ordinary person, she tried to accept them as best she
\ncould.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, McDonald's, a franchise restaurant many of whose
\nproducts use beef, has yet to respond to the beef price increase.<\/p>\n
Trisno, the manager of the McDonald's in the Sarinah building,
\nCentral Jakarta, said a McDonald's beefburger was still priced at
\nRp 9,700.<\/p>\n
The Coordinating Minister for Economics, Dorodjatun Kuntjoro
\nJakti, called upon people to change their eating habits by
\nreplacing beef with fish.<\/p>\n
"I hope that fish will get more attention ... we had better
\npay more attention to our own commodities," he was quoted by
\nAntara as saying when visiting the Muara Angke fish market in
\nNorth Jakarta early on Saturday.<\/p>\n
For many families here, fish is not as popular as chicken and
\nbeef.<\/p>\n
He also appealed to beef importers to turn to the abundance of
\nfish that could easily be found in Indonesian waters. A total of
\n30 percent of the beef here is imported, he said.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the minister said that the high demand for
\nbeef in the markets was a good sign in regard to the purchasing
\npower of the public.<\/p>\n
As for the price increases, he said he had formed a team to
\nmonitor the issue. Supplies will also be monitored closely to
\nensure that there will be enough for the holiday season, which
\nthis year includes Idul Fitri, Christmas and the New Year, he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/consumers-have-beef-with-price-rise-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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