Police officers to assist in food distribution
Police officers to assist in food distribution
JAKARTA (JP): Following the panic buying of staple goods
Thursday, the National Police has promised they will assist in
distributing and monitoring basic commodities throughout the
country.
Newly installed National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Da'i
Bachtiar said Saturday that Police Chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo had
instructed police officers to be on alert to quickly detect any
disturbances arising from possible panic buying.
After a special top-level police meeting Saturday, Dibyo
ordered police to coordinate efforts with other branches of the
Armed Forces to ensure the flow of the nine basic commodities --
rice, sugar, salt, salted-fish, detergent, mori fabric, cooking
oil, kerosene and synthetic materials.
Buyers suddenly crammed shops and markets here Thursday
afternoon procuring basic commodities, such as rice, sugar and
cooking oil, in large quantities.
The panic buying subsided Friday and yesterday but purchases
were still said to be higher than normal.
In contrast to Jakarta, the situation in most regional markets
grew milder following the government's appeal Friday to remain
calm, assuring the country that it had a large supply of food
commodities to last until March.
In Medan, North Sumatra, the Armed Forces was preparing to
open cheap markets at every military district command to sell
basic commodities should food prices soar in private stores.
The commander of Bukit Barisan Military Command, Maj. Gen. T.
Rizal Nurdin, was quoted by Antara as saying that residents would
be invited to make purchases by first showing their identity and
household cards.
Rizal urged sellers to stop raising food prices, arguing that
basic commodities had no direct relationship with the plunge of
the rupiah against U.S. dollar.
In Batam, Riau, traditional markets were calmer yesterday
while shopping centers were still packed with buyers.
Many consumers, particularly housewives, lamented the price of
basic foods which had sharply increased since Friday.
Most people said they preferred traditional markets as prices
were still reasonable compared to supermarkets.
In Central Java, Governor Soewardi said he would allow trucks
transporting staple foods and commodities to exceed, within a
safe range, the legal weight limit set for trucks when they are
weighed at weigh stations.
"I ordered all crews at weigh stations to let trucks which are
overloaded with the nine basic commodities to pass, as long as
the weight is still safe and reasonable," he said during a
surprise inspection at the Tugu weigh station in Semarang,
Central Java, Saturday. (09)