Govt vows enough stocks for holiday

Govt vows enough stocks for holiday

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday summoned three ministers and instructed them to coordinate efforts to guarantee adequate supplies of food in the lead-up to the Idul Fitri holidays in early March.

"Coordinating Minister for Economy and Finance Saleh Afiff will coordinate the relevant government institutions, including the Ministry of Transportation, to provide adequate supplies of foodstuffs and to accelerate their transportation and distribution during the Ramadan fasting month and the Idul Fitri holiday," Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told reporters after meeting with Soeharto at the Merdeka Palace yesterday.

Moerdiono, who accompanied Afiff and Minister of Food/Chairman of the Logistics Board, Ibrahim Hasan, in yesterday's meeting with Soeharto, said that the President was concerned about the possibility of a food shortage following a long dry season in 1994.

The Moslem fasting month will begin early next month, and will culminate in the Idul Fitri holiday on March 3.

Moerdiono said that the government would be scrutinizing recent rises in food prices, which had probably been triggered by last week's announcement of a 10-percent increase in the salaries of civil servants and members of the Armed Forces.

"The government will make every effort to tackle speculative pricing maneuvers on the market," he said.

Civil servants of the first and second levels have been given a 10-percent salary increase, commencing this month. Third and fourth level civil servants will receive the same increase in April. (fhp)