Jokowi calls for the prices of basic materials in Surabaya’s Wonokromo market to stabilize

President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) visited the Wonokromo Market in Surabaya, East Java on Saturday (18/02/2023) afternoon to ensure that the prices of several basic commodities do not rise so high as to cause inflation. . The staples in question vary from rice to cooking oil.

The market inspection also monitored the operation of the cheap rice market held by Bulog in the last few days. Jokowi said the price of rice at Wonokromo Market was already below the highest retail price (HET).

I want to check a very important item called rice. Has Bulog’s operation reached stalls and markets? I have seen it and the price was 44 thousand IDR for five kilos. This means the price is around IDR 9,000 per kilogram, said Jokowi at Wonokromo Market on Saturday.

Then also the price of cooking oil did not escape Jokowi’s attention, especially the OilKita brand produced by the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), whose price is IDR 14,000 according to HET.

In the past, the MinyaKita brand had experienced scarcity in the market due to many people selling it online bundling. This burdens traders, which automatically increases the selling price in the market.

“Yesterday, the Food Task Force has descended on several PTs with large stocks, or those stockpiling have been warned not to,” said Jokowi in response to the once scarce OilKita stockpile.

Meanwhile, Priyanto, one of the traders at Wonokromo Market, said the prices of some basic commodities have indeed stabilised. Includes the price of rice as announced by Jokowi.

At the same time, the prices of other commodities, such as shallots, also fell. It used to be around 45-40 thousand IDR/kg, now it is 35 thousand IDR/kg.

OilKita is also priced at IDR 14,000 and eggs are also stable at IDR 26,000 per kilo, he said. (wld/bil/ipg)