Governor tells agencies to hold market operation
Governor tells agencies to hold market operation
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja has instructed city agencies to conduct a special operation to control prices of nine primary commodities in the city during the current fasting month of Ramadhan.
Head of the city public relations office Soesila Darmoadji told reporters yesterday that the governor said in a staff meeting that the market operation should start as soon as possible.
"The operation is aimed at anticipating and controlling the increases of the prices of the nine commodities, which usually happens during Ramadhan," Surjadi was quoted as saying.
The governor said that the operation will be conducted by the city price control team, which consists of City Logistic Agency, City Economic Affairs Bureau, City Statistic Office and City Trade Office.
Members of City Council hailed the governor's instruction and urged the team to conduct field observations.
"The operation is needed to halt uncontrollable increases of prices, especially during Ramadhan when traders try to make big profits," said Abdullah H. Abdulgani, chairman of City Council's Commission B, which is in charge of economic affairs.
Abdullah said the team should carry out a field survey to closely monitor the market's situation so they can obtain accurate data, which can be used to formulate efforts to prevent this in the future.
"Don't sit around and study the situation from a written report," Abdullah said.
Helmy R. Syihab, a councilor from the United Development Party faction, stated that the logistic agency as well as the other agencies in the team should conduct this operation monitoring prices not only during Ramadhan but make it a regular activity.
"This is important because the increase of prices of goods in the city can affect the national economic situation.
A report from a weekly field survey conducted by the city economic bureau states that prices of nine commodities including rice, vegetables and meat have increased since the last week of January.
The price of rice was higher by 2.41 to 4.55 percent than a week before. For example Saigon Bandung II type increased from Rp 1,100/kg to Rp 1,150, Cisadane II from Rp 975 to Rp 1,000 and IR I from Rp 1,037 to Rp 1,062.
The price of meat and egg was 0.24 to 5.11 percent higher than the previous week. Beef steak went up from Rp 12,071 per kg to Rp 12,100, tenderloin from Rp 13,036 to Rp 13,400 per kg and eggs from 2,379 to Rp 2,500 per kg.
The bureau also reported that the price of other commodities such as flour, sugar and cooking oil were 3.45 and 3.82 percent higher than the previous week.
The price of sugar increased from Rp 1,311 to Rp 1,361 per kg while cooking oil went from Rp 1,450 to Rp 1,500 per kg. (yns)