Price of basic needs increase by 70%<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The prices of a number of basic commodities in the city's
\ntraditional markets already have risen following the government's
\nWednesday announcement of increases in fuel prices and utility
\nrates.<\/p>\n
Traders said they expected more goods to go up in price next
\nweek.<\/p>\n
Instant noodles, cooking oil, spices and vegetables like
\ntomatoes, eggplants, onions, cauliflower, red curly chilies,
\nlettuce and potatoes have all gone up in price.<\/p>\n
The highest price increase, of up to 70 percent or more, was
\nexperienced by vegetable, though traders said the increase was
\nalso the result of the heavy rains during the wet season.<\/p>\n
\"The prices of manufactured products have not increased, but I
\nbelieve they will end up costing more because they will be
\naffected by the increase in industrial diesel fuel prices,\" Amin,
\na food trader at the Palmerah traditional market in Central
\nJakarta, said on Friday.<\/p>\n
According to Amin, the price of a box of instant noodles
\ncontaining 40 packet had increased by an average of Rp 2,000 (22
\nU.S. cents) since Thursday. He said, for example, that the price
\nof a box of soto-flavored instant noodles had gone up to Rp
\n30,000 from Rp 28,000, and chicken curry-flavored instant noodled
\nincreased to Rp 36,500 from Rp 34,000.<\/p>\n
The price of rice, coconut, fish, chicken, meat, sugar,
\nbranded vegetable oil, wheat powder and a number of other
\ncommodities remained the same on Friday.<\/p>\n
The price of cooking oil at the Bayu shop in Kebayoran Lama
\nmarket, South Jakarta, increased to Rp 5,300 per kilogram on
\nThursday from Rp 5,000 on Wednesday. The increase in vegetable
\nprices was even greater.<\/p>\n
Wati, a trader at Kebayoran Lama market, said vegetable prices
\nstarted going up on Thursday, the result of both the utilities
\nprice hike and the heavy rainfall.<\/p>\n
She said the price of a kilogram of tomatoes increased from Rp
\n3,500 to Rp 6,000, lettuce increased to Rp 3,500 from Rp 3,000,
\nred chilies to Rp 18,000 from Rp 15,000, potatoes to Rp 5,000
\nfrom Rp 3,500 and celery to 8,000 from Rp 5,000.<\/p>\n
Sijan, a vegetable trader at Palmerah market, told a similar
\ntale. On Friday, he was selling eggplants and cucumber for Rp
\n1,500 per kilogram, while on Wednesday the price was Rp 1,000.<\/p>\n
Like Wati, Sijan said vegetables prices also were affected by
\nthe weather.<\/p>\n
The price increases caused problems for many people, including
\nhousewives.<\/p>\n
Resti, a resident of Kebayoran Lama, expected basic
\ncommodities to cost more after the government announced the
\nincreases in the price of fuel, electricity rates, telephone
\nrates and economy-class train fares on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
But when the traders told her the prices on Friday she was
\nstill upset.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know how I will manage because my husband, a civil
\nservant, has not been given a raise,\" she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/price-of-basic-needs-increase-by-70-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}