Jakarta, May 28 (Antara) -- The government is doing its best to curb
the prices of food commodities and to ensure their availability in the
face of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Additional efforts are being made as costs usually rise during this period due to higher consumption.
The government will focus on the availability of stock and stability of
food commodity prices, ahead of the holy fasting month and Idul Fitri
festivities.
"We hope in this year's Idul Fitri celebration, there will be no
inflation because inflationary pressures are usually higher ahead of
Ramadan and Idul Fitri. Now, we ask the government to implement
necessary policies so that inflation does not surge," Chief Economic
Minister Sofyan Djalil said.
Indonesian Muslims are expected to begin the fasting month on June 18,
and it will last till July 16. The post-fasting month will be celebrated
with festivals popularly known as Lebaran or Idul Fitri on July 17 and
18.
To maintain the stability of food commodity prices, the government will introduce certain measures.
"The government will adopt any measure or policy to ensure the
availability of food commodities and the stability of their prices,"
Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel said on Wednesday.
Gobel has also made warehouse registration mandatory.
"Every operator is obligated to keep a record of warehouse
administration while storing food products and essential goods. The
operators shall report to the Ministry of Trade," he affirmed.
With regard to trade, the Trade Ministry is also drawing up and
discussing regulations wherein entrepreneurs, who package, distribute
and trade rice in branded packaging should register their business.
"Therefore, the ministry will be aware of the entrepreneurs in the field
of rice," he added.
Regarding
inflation, Bank Indonesia (BI) has predicted that inflation rate in May
will increase slightly from 0.36 percent month-to-month (mtm), or 6.79
percent year-on-year (yoy), in April.
"It
will rise slightly year-on-year but is still in line with (our target).
However, we must stay alert (for a surge in inflation rate) in June or
July ahead of the Idul Fitri festivities," Executive Director of the
Economic and Monetary Policies Department of Bank Indonesia Juda Agung
said on the sidelines of the sixth national coordination meeting of
regional inflation control teams (TPID) on Wednesday.
Agung refused to divulge the inflation rate in May. However, data from
the central bank shows that the inflation rate till the third week of
May rose 0.4 percent mtm, or 7.4 percent yoy.
He added that inflationary pressures in the fasting month of Ramadan
and during Idul Fitri festivities will be relatively high and that
relevant parties must stay alert for rise in the prices of several
commodities.
Moreover, to ensure security in the price of rice, state-owned
logistics board Bulog is ready to carry out market operations. Corporate
Secretary of Bulog Djoni Nur Ashari emphasized that if necessary, the
board will conduct market operations.
"Let us just wait and observe the trend. We are ready to conduct market operations if needed," he affirmed.
Although the inflation rate has risen marginally, the prices of certain
food commodities have actually shown a decline, according to the
Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).
Deputy Head for Distribution and Services of the BPS Sasmito Hadi
Wibowo pointed out that the price of staple foods, including rice, had
begun to decline in the last several weeks.
Like Agung of BI, Wibowo noted that precautionary measures, including
preparing adequate food supply, needed to be implemented.
Furthermore, food supply, particularly rice stock, is adequate.
Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman had earlier assured the public that
the available rice stock was sufficient to meet the needs of the people
ahead of the fasting month, which will begin in the middle of next
month, and Lebaran.
"The current rice stock is secure and adequate to meet people's needs
for several months," the minister said while accompanying President Joko
Widodo during his working visit to Manado, North Sulawesi, on Thursday.
Stock of rice and unhusked dry rice is enough as local farmers have
produced a large volume of the commodity. It is sufficient to meet the
higher demand in the upcoming fasting month and post-fasting Idul Fitri
or Lebaran festivities.
"Rice stock is sufficient to meet demand till September. The plan to
import rice will be carried out only as the last resort," he added.
The government, through state logistics board Bulog, is ready to
purchase farmers' rice. A total of 75 rice-producing districts in
Indonesia are still selling rice below the government's reference price
(HPP) of Rp7,260 per kilogram.
Most
of the rice-producing centers in the country are still harvesting every
day, but the peak harvest seasons are in March and June, the minister
pointed out.
Bulog
will purchase farmers' rice to increase its stock. It will not restrict
the volume of its purchase. "Bulog will buy it no matter how much the
farmers have produced," he stressed.
State-owned
logistics company Perum Bulog confirmed on Tuesday that national rice
stock was sufficient to meet the needs of the people ahead of the
upcoming Islamic fasting month and Eid holiday.
"Bulog's
stock is secure. Right now, the stock is adequate to meet the demand
for five months," Secretary of Bulog Djoni Nur Ashari stated.
He noted that the board's current rice stock amounted to 1.3 million tons, which is adequate to meet demand for five months.
The company domestically procures an average of 25 thousand tons per
day, or a total of 1.1 million tons of the target of 2.754 million tons
this year.
"It is hoped that the stock will continue to increase as the harvest period is still ongoing," he remarked.
***3***
(T.A014/INE)
EDITED BY INE
(H-YH)
(T.A014/A/BESSR/A/Yosep) 28-05-2015 17:52: |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar