Governor assures food availability in Central Kalimantan remains secure until year-end

Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Central Kalimantan Governor Agustiar Sabran has assured that food availability in the region is secure and sufficient to meet the needs of the community until the end of the year. “We have coordinated with Bulog and directly assessed food availability for Central Kalimantan, which is in a secure condition,” he stated in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, on Tuesday. The governor mentioned that this step is among others to address the increase in certain non-subsidised fuel oil (BBM) prices. The price hikes for non-subsidised BBM include Pertamax Turbo from Rp13,350 to Rp19,850 per litre, Pertamina Dex from Rp14,800 to Rp24,450 per litre, and Dexlite from Rp14,500 to Rp24,150 per litre. “The implication of that (BBM price increase) is usually a rise in food prices. That’s why we are here, partly to coordinate with Bulog. We want to ensure that food stocks are available first—rice, cooking oil, and others,” he explained. Furthermore, for controlling food prices, his side is preparing to conduct market interventions through various programmes and activities, such as stabilising markets or affordable market initiatives. “So that food prices are controlled, we are organising stabilising markets, which we will arrange in the near future. So that food prices remain stable,” he said. Agustiar further conveyed that there are also presidential assistance programmes as well as provincial government programmes, namely the Kartu Huma Betang Sejahtera, which help fulfil some of the community’s needs. The Head of Bulog’s Central Kalimantan Region, Erwin Budiana, emphasised that food availability in the province is in a very secure condition. “We have more than 18,000 tonnes of rice, which is very secure until the end of the year. Then, cooking oil still has one million litres,” he stated.