Batam Trade Office deploys mobile grocery van to meet residents' needs
The Industry and Trade Office (Disperindag) of Batam City, Riau Islands, has deployed the GASING van (JaGA InflaSI KeliliNG) to sell staple goods at several busy locations as part of efforts to maintain price stability and meet residents’ needs.
Head of the Trade Division at Disperindag Batam, Wahyu Daryatin, said the GASING van travels to various areas of Batam City every working day, carrying commodities that are in high demand among the public.
“We are working with Bulog and distributors to provide the goods most sought after by the public. At the moment, the priority is MinyaKita because there is widespread information that people are struggling to find it in the market,” Wahyu said in Batam on Thursday.
The GASING van was stationed in front of the Cheng Ho Mosque in Bengkong on that day. Previously, similar services had targeted the Belian and Cahaya Garden areas of Bengkong.
According to Wahyu, sales locations are selected based on crowd density and community needs.
The activity will be carried out on a roving basis for one month, including on weekends if there is demand in certain areas.
“If it is indeed needed, we will go out on Saturdays and Sundays to locations where the community gathers and where there is genuine need,” he said.
Between 11 am and 12 noon, the GASING van was observed to be busy with local residents purchasing various staple goods.
In detail, two litres of MinyaKita were sold for Rp31,000, local chicken eggs for Rp47,000 per bundle, Stabilisation of Food Supply and Prices (SPHP) rice for Rp56,000, and premium Gong Gong brand rice for Rp65,000.
At the Bengkong event, Disperindag Batam provided 50 boxes of MinyaKita, each containing six packages, 10 bundles of eggs, 10 packages of SPHP rice and 10 packages of premium Gong Gong brand rice.
“Yesterday in Belian, everything sold out within about an hour. That is why we are adjusting to the needs of residents,” he said.
Wahyu said the activity is also part of efforts to keep regional inflation under control.
Based on data from the Batam Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Batam’s inflation rate in July 2026 was recorded at 4.33 per cent year-on-year, down from 4.75 per cent in June.
“Staple goods are actually sufficient, stocks are available and prices are stable. The recent inflation was driven more by other commodities such as gold, fuel and transport,” he said.
He expressed hope that the GASING van initiative can help the public while maintaining price stability for staple goods amid Batam’s economic activity.
“We can confirm that prices remain normal and stocks are still sufficient,” Wahyu said.