Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs inspects Sidoarjo subsidised market to stabilise prices ahead of Idul Adha

JAKARTA (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) inspected five locations of a subsidised market in Sidoarjo, East Java, to stabilise prices of essential commodities ahead of Idul Adha.

He stated that the activity was carried out in accordance with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to prevent food staple prices from rising before religious holidays.

“Specific presidential directive: food staple prices must not rise ahead of Idul Adha,” Zulhas said in a statement from Jakarta on Tuesday.

The government held the subsidised market on Monday (25 March) involving local governments, DPR and DPRD members, TNI, Polri, and related parties to help alleviate public burden.

At each location, around 300 residents attended to purchase subsidised rice.

The government provided 5kg packages of rice under the Stabilisation of Supply and Food Prices (SPHP) programme at Rp50,000 per package.

This price is lower than the maximum retail price for SPHP rice at Rp62,500 per 5kg package.

Field monitoring showed rice prices in markets ranged from Rp15,000 to Rp17,000 per kilogram.