Government Targets Cheap Christmas Market to Reduce Inflation Number

JAKARTA - The government is targeting the Christmas cheap market activity to be able to suppress the inflation rate in Manado City, North Sulawesi Province (North Sulawesi) until the end of 2022.

"We are conducting a cheap Christmas market to maintain the prices of basic necessities in the trade center of Manado City," said North Sulawesi's Head of Industry and Trade, Daniel Mewengkang, quoted by Antara, Sunday.

He said that people do not need to worry, because the stock of basic needs is sufficient to meet people's demands.

Daniel explained that usually what always drives inflation in Manado City is volatile food, so that through sales at the Christmas cheap market, it is hoped that prices will remain stable in the market.

"Because in the cheap Christmas market, almost all basic needs are sold at a cheaper price," he said again.

Currently, he also said, in the Christmas cheap market rice, cooking oil, sugar, wheat flour, butter and other ingredients are sold.

Cayenne pepper pushed Manado City, North Sulawesi Province to experience 0.12 percent deflation in October 2022.

"The biggest contributor to deflation month-to-month (mtm) in October 2022 was cayenne pepper at 0.0998 percent," said Head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of North Sulawesi, Asim Saputra.

Asim said the biggest contributor to inflation was gasoline at 0.0614 percent.

Meanwhile, the biggest contributor to inflation year on year (yoy) in October was air transportation at 1.4245 percent, and the biggest contributor to deflation was lard/tude fish at 0.1648 percent.

He explained that in October 2022, Manado City experienced deflation of 0.12 percent, while inflation for the calendar year was 3.64 percent and year-on-year inflation was 4.65 percent.

Meanwhile, inflation for the calendar year was 3.64 percent and year-on-year inflation was 4.65 percent.