Prices of basic commodities rise but supply 'not a problem'<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Prices of most basic commodities in traditional markets across
\nthe capital have soared by up to 30 percent following the fuel
\nprice hike. However, since there are adequate supplies of goods,
\nthe Jakarta administration has no plans to intervene.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso along with officials from the Jakarta
\nIndustry and Trade Agency, City Economic Bureau and city market
\noperator PD Pasar Jaya made impromptu visits to some large
\ntraditional markets here and discovered that the prices of most
\nbasic commodities were on the rise.<\/p>\n
\"The Oct. 1 increase in fuel prices has triggered an increase
\nin the price of rice to Rp 3,400 per kilogram from Rp 3,000,\"
\nsaid Iwan, 40, a trader of Toko Unggul at the Cipinang rice
\nwholesale market in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He blamed the increase in transportation costs as well as the
\ncost of husking the rice.<\/p>\n
Another trader, Maryono, said he was selling rice at Rp 3,600
\nper kilogram to adjust with the soaring costs.<\/p>\n
\"It includes an additional transportation cost of at least Rp
\n80 per kilogram and an increase in husking the rice from Rp
\n15,000 per 100 kilogram to Rp 21,000.\"<\/p>\n
At the Kramatjati fruit and vegetable wholesale market in East
\nJakarta, traders said that the fuel price hike had forced them to
\nraise the prices of vegetables.<\/p>\n
\"We sell tomatoes at Rp 1,500 per kilogram now, or double the
\nprevious price of only Rp 700,\" a trader said.<\/p>\n
However, Suhardi, a chili trader played down the impact of the
\nfuel price increase, arguing that the soaring prices of
\nvegetables were due to a reduction in supply in the market during
\nthe first week of the fasting month of Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
\"The supply in the market dropped during the first few days of
\nRamadhan since people did not go to their farms to harvest
\nvegetables. That's why the prices climbed,\" he said, adding that
\nthe price of chili jumped to Rp 24,000 from only Rp 12,000
\npreviously.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said that his administration would not intervene
\nsince the rising prices were tolerable.<\/p>\n
\"The price increases are relatively normal for Ramadhan,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He asserted, however, that a team of the city administration
\nwould closely monitor the fluctuation in the prices of basic
\ncommodities in the markets.<\/p>\n
Traders selling meat at Jatinegara market in East Jakarta
\ncomplained that despite the increase in the price of beef, they
\nexperienced a sharp drop in term of buyers.<\/p>\n
\"Fewer people are coming to buy beef. Maybe, they are cutting
\ntheir spending on beef to save money after the fuel price
\nincrease,\" said Suheri, 45.<\/p>\n
According to him, price of beef increased to Rp 50,000 per
\nkilogram from Rp 45,000.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prices-of-basic-commodities-rise-but-supply-not-a-problem-1447893297",
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