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)