Bantul Regency Government holds cheap market, provides five tonnes of basic necessities

The Bantul Regency Government, in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, in cooperation with Bank Indonesia’s Yogyakarta representative office, has held a cheap market providing around five tonnes of various basic commodities for the public.

Head of the Bantul Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises, Industry and Trade Office (DKUKMPP), Prapta Nugraha, said in Bantul on Wednesday that the cheap market was held for one day at the Guwosari Sports Hall in Pajangan District on Wednesday.

“We are working to maintain staple food stocks and ensure the public can obtain basic necessities at cheap and fair prices,” he said.

In the activity, the Bantul Regency Government provided around five tonnes of various basic commodities consisting of rice, cooking oil, eggs, shallots, garlic, sugar and other staple goods.

“We also engaged the participation of supermarkets to attend and provide discounts and promotions,” he said.

According to him, the prices of commodities sold in the cheap market were relatively lower than prices in ordinary grocery shops because supplies were obtained directly from official distributors.

“This uses distributor prices from Bulog, egg distributors, rice and shallots,” he said.

In addition, commodities sold at distributor prices still received a subsidy of around Rp2,000 per kilogram or litre.

“Distributor prices still receive a relief subsidy of around Rp2,000, so they are relatively cheaper than market prices, with a difference of more than Rp2,000 per kilo or per litre,” he said.

He said the cheap market in Guwosari lasted for one day, but similar activities would be held again on different days and at different locations.

“We are targeting areas that relatively need it, such as rather dry areas, for example Dlingo and Pajangan sub-districts, where many residents are in need,” he said.

Based on reports he received, the majority of basic commodities in the cheap market had sold out due to high public interest, resulting in long queues.

“What remains is likely only a little rice because it is relatively just past the harvest season,” he said.

A resident of Kadisono Hamlet, Guwosari Village, Pajangan District, Bantul, Darmi, said she obtained information about the cheap market from the local hamlet head and deliberately came early to avoid queuing for too long.

“I came by motorbike, arriving here at around 8.30 a.m. so as not to queue too much,” she said.

She considered the cheap market quite helpful for low-income residents because the prices of commodities offered were far cheaper than prices in ordinary grocery shops.

“For example, two litres of Sunco cooking oil outside is Rp45,000, here it is Rp41,500,” she said.

Darmi spent around Rp300,000 on basic necessities, buying sugar, flour, cooking oil and other household needs.

Technically, purchases at the cheap market were also limited so that the distribution of commodities to the public would be more evenly spread.

“Purchases are limited to a maximum of two litres per brand of cooking oil, not allowed to buy a lot for ordinary household consumption, except for celebration purposes,” she said.

Darmi admitted she had participated in cheap markets in Bantul four times because the activity is routinely held every year.