Don't up prices at will!

Don't up prices at will!

From Neraca

The government has announced that it will not increase pay
rates for civil servants, Armed Forces members and retired
personnel. But many traders have started increasing commodity
prices, saying it is due to the monetary crisis.

As the wife of a government official with a fixed salary, I am
worried about commodity prices increasing without controls.

It makes sense if the increases hit imported goods. But now
prices of all goods from the nine staple foodstuffs to luxurious
items have doubled.

Our purchasing power, which was relatively weak in 1997, will
further weaken in 1998 in these conditions. If in the past we
were able to save, I think it will be impossible to do the same
this year.

Savings are meant to guard against contingencies like
sickness.

Our suffering will be more acute if public transport operators
raise bus fares. It will make us increasingly powerless.

I therefore appeal to all sides not to arbitrarily make
decisions on things of interest to the general public.

I know that traders and transport operators are having a hard
time too. But if, in this difficult time, we act arbitrarily, all
people will bear the burden.

With their purchasing power weakened, consumers will become
weaker if traders increase their prices arbitrarily.

SONI M.

Jakarta