Consumers get ready for price hikes

Consumers get ready for price hikes

P.C. Naommy, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakartans are bracing themselves for Idul Fitri holiday price
hikes, and hoping costs won't go too high.

Shoppers at two of the city's largest traditional markets at
Kebayoran Lama and Kramat Jati were still paying regular prices,
but the vendors warned them to prepare for price hikes in the
week or three days before the holiday.

"On those days the meat price can reach up to Rp 45,000 per
kilogram," said Lukman, a butcher from Kebayoran Baru market.
While the other three main holiday food items such as eggs could
reach up to Rp 8,000 per kilogram, with coconut going up to Rp
3000 each and chicken rising to Rp 20,000 per kilogram or Rp
25,000 each.

Until the 10 days before the holiday, the price of eggs is
around Rp 6,500 per kilogram, coconuts are only Rp 1,500 each,
chicken sells at around Rp 7,500 up to Rp 10,000 per kilogram,
while meat remains at Rp 35,000 per kilogram.

The consumers said they wouldn't mind spending all that money
for the special day, but they hope that the price increment would
make sense to them.

Although prices have not risen yet, the vendors say that the
number of consumers seemed to be decreasing this year. Some
vendors said that it could be caused by the decline in the
consumers' purchasing power.

"The number of buyers last year was better than this year. I
don't really understand the reason, but maybe they don't have
much money to spend these days," complained Ijah, 40, who was
selling chickens in Kebayoran Lama market.

Mutia, 48, from the Sukabumi Utara subdistrict, said the
declining number of consumers was because many people had already
gone home.

"These days people choose to go home to their village earlier
to celebrate the holiday with their family, because the ticket
fares have not been increased yet and there are no traffic jams,"
said Mutia.

The Idul Fitri holiday is a season of forgive and forget. Just
a moment after the Idul Fitri prayer, families and friends will
gather and hold special celebrations by eating special menu items
like ketupat (steamed rhombus-shaped rice cake), opor (chicken
dish cooked with coconut cream) and samble goreng kentang (meat
dish with potatoes in a spicy sauce).

"I could spend about Rp 150,000 for one day to buy everything
I need to cook all the dishes," said Mon, 51, from Taman Mini,
East Jakarta. But during the fasting month, she said that with Rp
50,000 she could have three days stock of daily needs, such as
eggs, vegetables, chicken and fruit.

While Wati, 45, a resident of Sukabumi Utara subdistrict, said
she could spend almost Rp 300,000 one or two days before the
holiday.

A different comment came from Mutia, "For me the spending
depends on how many family members stay in Jakarta. If many of
the family members are going to their home towns, then the
spending would be much lower."