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)