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)