Warteg Nusantara Community Asks Government To Anticipate Scarcity Of 3 Kg LPG

JAKARTA - The owners of Tegal stalls (warteg) expect the government to anticipate the scarcity of 3 kilograms of LPG (LPG) due to the increase in commodity prices for the non-subsidized category.

The head of the Warteg Nusantara Community (Kowantara), Mukroni, said that 3 kilograms (kg) of LPG is needed by warteg owners to make a variety of food menus.

"There is already a (scarcity), but not too much. Please take care of the food, so it's not rare. It's getting difficult," said Mukroni as reported by ANTARA, Friday, July 15.

Mukroni added that the warteg owners hoped that the government could prevent any person from taking advantage of the 3 kg subsidized LPG after the non-subsidized LPG price hike.

"This is what worries me. Many have started to have trouble," said Mukroni.

He said warteg owners had also been burdened by rising prices for basic commodities such as chili, eggs and onions.

As a result, many warteg owners have reduced the menu portion to get around the high cost of production due to the scarcity of 3 kilograms of LPG and the increase in the price of basic commodities.

"That's why now we reduce the dose, not increase the price," said Mukroni.

Previously, PT Pertamina (Persero) raised the price of non-subsidized LPG by around Rp. 2,000 per kilogram which took effect from July 10, 2022. This price adjustment was made following the price trend in the world oil and gas industry.

As for the 5.5 kg LPG gas, the average price reaches Rp. 100,000-Rp. 127,000 per cylinder. Meanwhile, for 12 kg LPG, the average price reaches Rp. 213,000-Rp. 270,000 per tube, based on the area.