Tuban Regency Government Limits Purchases at Ramadan Affordable Market to Anticipate Hoarding
Tuban Regency is holding a Ramadan Affordable Market for 18 days, starting Monday, February 23, 2026. This program is a regional intervention aimed at curbing inflation and maintaining food availability in the lead-up to Eid al-Fitr.
However, the Tuban Regency Government is implementing purchase restrictions to anticipate hoarding. Agus Wijaya, Assistant for Economic and Development Affairs of the Tuban Regency Regional Secretary, stated that the government took this step after observing the price trends of essential goods in recent weeks.
“We have seen a significant increase in the prices of basic necessities. Therefore, we are here to stabilize prices and ensure that supplies are available,” he said on Wednesday (February 25).
According to him, the Ramadan Affordable Market offers nine strategic commodities, including rice, cooking oil, sugar, eggs, chili peppers, large red chilies, curly chilies, shallots, and garlic.
These commodities were selected because they significantly impact regional inflation and always experience increased demand during Ramadan. Agus explained that all commodities are sold below market prices. However, for commodities like chili peppers, which have high price fluctuations, prices are adjusted daily.
In terms of distribution, the government is optimizing supplies from chili-producing areas such as Bancar, Grabagan, Kerek, and Kenduruan sub-districts. This is to maintain the availability of goods at the affordable market.
To prevent bulk buying, purchases are limited. Packaged rice (5 kilograms) can be purchased in a maximum of two packages per person. Meanwhile, chili peppers and shallots are sold in packaged form, with a limit of one package per buyer to ensure even distribution.
The government also implements a daily monitoring and evaluation system. Each location has a person in charge who reports on stock levels, sales volume, and on-the-ground dynamics. If stocks run low, additional supplies are immediately sent.
“We do not want the public to panic or have difficulty obtaining basic necessities. Our target is to maintain stable prices until the eve of Eid and keep inflation under control,” Agus concluded.