Food prices down in several towns: Report
Food prices down in several towns: Report
JAKARTA (JP): The government's efforts to lower the prices of
basic commodities by selling directly to the public has shown
positive results, a media report said yesterday.
The government's "market operation" has brought about
encouraging results in Semarang and Yogyakarta, two major
Javanese cities.
In the traditional markets of Kotagede, Sentul and
Prawirotaman in Yogyakarta, prices of all basic foodstuff except
rice dropped significantly, Antara reported.
The price of cooking oil, for instance, steadily decreased
over the last four days from Rp 5,000 (71 U.S. cents) per liter
to Rp 3,200 per liter, the news agency quoted several traders as
saying.
It reported that the price of wheat flour dropped from Rp
1,000 per kilogram to Rp 700 per kilogram, tapioca flour from Rp
2,000 to Rp 1,700 and sugar from Rp 1,800 to Rp 1,600.
High priced essential commodities sparked rioting in various
parts of the country over the past month. Rioters targeted mainly
shops and property of entrepreneurs of Chinese descent.
Traders said the latest development in prices was due to the
government's market operation which enabled people to buy goods
at prices lower than market rates.
Smooth delivery and easy terms of payment for cooking oil by
distributors also attributed to the lower prices of essential
commodities.
Head of Yogyakarta's industry and trade office Ngadiyono, who
supervised the market operation, said over the weekend the
government would keep trying to bring the price of cooking oil
down to Rp 3,000 per liter.
In Central Java's capital of Semarang, the prices of
commodities were also reported to have decreased in traditional
markets such as Johar, Bulu and Peterongan.
The price of top quality cooking oil in Johar market on
Saturday, for instance, was down from Rp 5,200 per liter to Rp
4,250, whereas second-grade cooking oil was lowered from Rp 4,500
per liter to Rp 3,000.
The price of sugar was down from Rp 2,000 per kilogram to Rp
1,650, wheat flour from Rp 1,200 to Rp 1,000 per kilogram and
eggs from Rp 5,500 Rp 4,600 per kilogram.
Johar market manager Paimin also credited the government
through its local logistics agency and Apegti, an association of
sugar traders, with the decrease in prices of foodstuff, Antara
said.
National Logistics Agency chairman Beddu Amang said in the
South Sulawesi's capital of Ujungpandang Saturday that the
government guaranteed availability of all basic commodities.
As reported by the news agency, Amang renewed calls for people
not to panic because the government would continue its market
operation, especially for rice, sugar and wheat flour.
Amang said the agency currently had rice stocks of two million
tons and another two million tons would be coming next month.
(aan)