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)