BAZAARS AND MARKET OPERATIONS STABILIZE PRICES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 7 (Antara) - Bazaars and market operations launched by Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Ministry, Trade Ministry and State-owned logistics board Bulog have stabilized commodity prices and help low-income people meet their needs in the current fasting month.          "Bazaars and market operations alleviate the burden of the people, particularly low-income people. The trade ministry will continue to monitor the availability of basic necessities and to maintain prices at a stable level," Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel said on Monday.          Up to now, the ministry of trade together with the regional governments has launched market operations in 120 places in 32 provinces. The target of the ministry is to cover 216 locations in 34 provinces.  Up to July 4, 2015, the operations have been conducted in 32 provinces, except the provinces of Papua and North Kalimantan.            The trade ministry is also cooperating with Bulog in the launch of bazaars and market operations in nine provinces of Jakarta, West Java, Jambi, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and Maluku.          The bazaars and market operations sold 636 tons of rice in the market operations, 914 tons of sugar, six tons of onions, 33.7 tons of chili and 73 kilograms of meat involving some 150 thousand consumers.          Bulog in support of the ministry of trade also conducted market operations in 20 places in Jakarta on July 3, 2015, namely in two locations in South Jakarta, two in Central Jakarta, nine in East Jakarta, four in West Jakarta and three locations in North Jakarta.          A bazaar is also being conducted at the office of the Cooperative and Small Medium Enterprises Ministry in Jakarta.          Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (UKM) Minister Anak Agung Gede Ngurah Puspayoga launched the bazaar at his Jln Rasuna Said office, South Jakarta, on Tuesday  to provide essential commodities at lower prices to the people.          While opening the bazaar here on Tuesday, Minister Puspayoga noted that the bazaar was organized to facilitate cooperatives and UKM to market their products.          "The bazaar has the potential to attract buyers  and help small-scale enterprises to market their products easily," the minister affirmed.          He remarked that his ministry has been organizing bazaars in several regions to help people buy goods at prices within their financial reach.          Puspayoga pointed out that bazaars are a routine activity aimed at alleviating the burden on the people in the face of the post-fasting month of Ramadan and the post-fasting Lebaran festivities.          "Various products are offered to the people in the bazaars at prices far lower than the market prices," the minister emphasized.          The ministry of cooperatives and UKM also gave a chance to micro and medium businesses as well as cooperatives to put their products on market in the bazaars as part product promotion.          "This is a strategic chance for small business and cooperatives to introduce and market their products," Minister Puspayoga said.          On the occasion, Ahmad Husen, assistant to the minister for external trade of the Cooperative and UKM Ministry, said in his report that the bazaar was organized in the form of market operations involving 106 small scale businesses and 20 processed good producers.          The prices offered were relatively low because the activities also involved companies with commitment to distribute products in the framework of their corporate service responsibility (CSR).          "There are five companies which offered a 50 percent price discount," said Husen.          Cooperation with private companies in the launch of bazaars and market operations is also carried out by the ministry of trade.          With facilities and coordination with the trade ministry, the market operations and bazaars were organized in cooperation with  PT PPI company. Market operations have been conducted in 54 places in five provinces of Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, North Sumatra with 400 tons of sugar distributed to 125 thousand consumers.          With PT Sinar Mas company, bazaars on cooking oil have been conducted in 60 points of 12 provinces of Jakarta, Baneten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bangka Belitung, Lampung, Jambi, South Kalimantan, Riau, South Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). A total of 300 thousand liters of cooking oil were distributed to about 150 thousand consumers.          Artha Graha Peduli firm, in the meantime, organized bazaars in 103 villages and 82 markets in Jakarta and its satellite towns of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi. It sold 1,193.2 tons of rice and 7.07 tons of eggs to about 230 thousand consumers.         "Every year, we pay extra attention to prices during the fasting month or in the run-up to the Lebaran festivities when prices of basic needs tend to surge. We try to stabilize the increasing prices by launching bazaars," Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel said when officially launching bazaars across the country late last month.      The ceremony was centered at the Trade Ministry's parking lot in Jakarta.          He stated that the market operations were expected to help bring down the prices of basic necessities, the stocks of which were still adequate.          "There is no need to worry because stocks in Indonesia are adequate," Gobel affirmed.          He further noted that the market in the parking lot would be open from June 25 to July 10 along with bazaars that the ministry launched simultaneously  in several other regions in Indonesia.          The basic necessities on sale at nearly half their price include rice, sugar, wheat, egg, chili, onion and other products of micro, small and medium businesses.          In Jakarta, the Trade Ministry distributed coupons for basic necessities in 12 villages in Jakarta, such as the villages of Gambir, Cikini, Kwitang, Kebon Sirih, Kebon Kelapa, Petojo Utara, Cideng, and Senen.         A total of 54 businesses, 16 food companies, 16 food processing industries and Aprindo took part in the operations. These businesses included state-owned logistics board Perum Bulog, Pasar Jaya, Kramat Jati Wholesale Market, Sinarmas, Artha Graha, PD Dharma Jaya, Hypermart, and Matahari.         In addition, the Jakarta provincial government also announced that it will hold bazaars in five municipalities.         "We prepared a plan to organize bazaars during the fasting month. They will be held in five places in five municipalities," Head of the Jakarta Provincial Office of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Businesses Joko Kundaryo stated meanwhile.***3*** (T.A014/b003/B003) (T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 08-07-2015 00:18: