City urged to curb price rise

City urged to curb price rise

JAKARTA (JP): A councilor urged the city logistics agency
yesterday to conduct a market operation before Ramadhan to curb
further hikes in consumer good prices.

Failure to act immediately would lead to rapid price rises,
Sahala P. Sinaga, a Indonesian Democratic Party faction member,
said Saturday.

On Friday, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja made a similar call to
the logistics agency, and repeated other officials' calls for
traders not to exploit the annual demand increase.

Families tend to spend more on food for early breakfast and
fast breaking dinners during Ramadhan.

Ramadhan is expected to begin on Jan. 9 or Jan. 10, depending
on the sighting of a new moon by an official body. The body,
Badan Ru'yah, comprises of representatives of the Indonesian
Council of Ulemas (MUI), major Moslem mass organizations, and the
Ministry of Religious Affairs.

An immediate operation "would prevent traders taking advantage
of the event and increase prices according to their whims,"
Sahala said.

On Friday the city economic bureau stated several goods'
prices had risen.

According to the bureau's weekly survey of city markets from
mid December to Jan. 2, the price of eggs increased 14 percent
and flour 3.6 percent.

The bureau stated the prices of other goods like meats,
vegetables and fruit had also risen. The prices of meats
increased by between 0.4 to 7.7 percent, while chicken rose 10.7
percent.

The findings confirmed Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI)
concerns that price increases before New Year would continue
through Ramadhan and to Idul Fitri in early February.

The prices of consumers goods, including some of the nine
basic commodities, rose in December in response to increased
demands for Christmas and New Year parties.

YLKI executive Zumrotin K. Soesilo said the city should have
acted earlier in view of the repeated price hikes before
festivities. (ste)