Municipality vows to supply ample basic commodities

Municipality vows to supply ample basic commodities

JAKARTA (JP): The city municipality will go all out to provide
adequate supplies of basic commodities -- particularly rice,
sugar, flour, cooking oil and kerosene -- for Jakartans,
officials said yesterday.

The commodities will be supplied directly to local vendors and
mayoralty offices in a bid to stop certain parties hoarding the
items, which have soared in price and become increasingly
difficult to find in the markets, they said.

And officials assured the city's 11 million residents that
they need not worry about the supply of basic commodities, the
officials said.

Jaya Ardiansyah, head of the city chapter of the State
Logistics Agency, Dolog Jaya, guaranteed that people would no
longer face rice shortages in the markets by April.

"We currently have some 250,000 tons of rice, which are
projected to meet city demand up until April," he said.

"And there are still six ships containing some 100,000 tons of
rice on their way to Tanjung Priok Port."

An official of the Flour and Sugar Traders Association
(Gapegti), said the association would sell tons of sugar and
flour direct to vendors and people living in and around the city
beginning next week.

The official, who refused to be named, said the city needed
some 75 tons of sugar and 30 tons of flour per day.

In terms of cooking oil and kerosene, which are as valuable as
gold for some residents, the city municipality has started
selling them direct to the public at temporary bazaars -- which
will commence in Central Jakarta today -- for low prices.

The country's two main producers of Bimoli and Filma cooking
oil have promised to supply the goods cheaply as of Thursday,
Central Jakarta Mayor Andi Subur Abdullah said.

The price of kerosene will be set at Rp 400 per liter while
the price of cooking oil is still under discussion.

"I know that people are looking for cooking oil and kerosene
as it is now difficult to find them and the prices are already
high," Andi said after inspecting a bazaar in the Johar Baru
district yesterday.

Supervision

Ardiansyah of Dolog Jaya said the direct sale of commodities
to local vendors, residents and mayoralties would help the
authorities supervise distribution and reduce the possibility of
stockpiling activities.

"We really want the needy people to be able to buy rice for a
reasonable price. We are already tired of the hoarders."

He reminded the city's five mayoralties, which are now
organizing the bazaars, to immediately pay for the rice they
receive from Dolog Jaya.

"The agency doesn't want to be burdened by a bad debt because
in this environment we need a smooth cash flow. If not, it's
going to be hard for us."

At Johar Baru bazaar yesterday, a crowd of 300 people --
consisting mostly of housewives -- sweated it out in long queues
for more than three hours.

But none of them complained.

"I don't want to miss this chance, it is difficult to get
cheap rice like they are selling here," Sri, who sells fried
banana, said.

Head of the subdistrict Zainal Arifin said a similar bazaar
would be held in a nearby area today.

Mayor Andi said the bazaars, which are also being held in the
city's other four mayoralties, started yesterday in 44
subdistricts in Central Jakarta and would last until the General
Session of the People's Consultative Assembly next month.

"The bazaars could be extended if it's still needed."

He said each mayoralties had to provide Rp 200 million to fund
the bazaars, which allow each family to buy five kilos of rice
and two kilos of sugar.

The price of sugar, for instance, is set at Rp 1,650 per kilo,
compared to the current price of Rp 2,400.

Dolog rice, which is mostly low-grade produce, is sold for Rp
1,000 per kilo, compared to Rp 1,650 for the same quality rice at
markets here.

Andi visited a bazaar in Kampung Sawah and Kebon Sirih
subdistricts yesterday but all the goods were sold out.

In Gondangdia subdistrict, the 400 local residents asked the
authorities to provide a larger variety of goods.

"I'm glad this bazaar is being held but I'd be happier if we
could buy cheap cooking oil, eggs and noodles here because the
prices elsewhere are already high," a housewife, Sa'diah, said.
(edt/ind)