KPPU Asks Bapanas To Immediately Set HET Garlic

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) M. Fanshurullah Asa asked the National Food Agency (Bapanas) to immediately set a reference price for garlic, either the reference purchase price (HAP) or the highest retail price (HET).

According to him, setting this benchmark price can be a benchmark to determine the development of garlic prices in the market.

"It is necessary to immediately determine the reference price of garlic, although this is not an important staple, so we know that the current condition is whether garlic is expensive, above what percentage, we measure it," said Fanshurullah, quoted from ANTARA, Tuesday, May 21.

Fanshurullah said that food commodities such as rice, sugar, eggs and cooking oil already have a reference price. According to him, this should also apply to garlic.

The determination of the reference price aims to make the government move quickly when there is a price instability. Fanshurullah said that so far garlic does not have a reference price, making it difficult to find out the price has soared or decreased.

"So even though these garlic are not classified as the main commodity, I think it needs to be determined," he said.

The Business Competition Supervision Commission (KPPU) said the high price of garlic was caused by importers getting goods with poor quality, so they had to spend more on their storage.

Previously, Eugenia KPPU member Jenny Mardanugraha said that her party had summoned importers to respond to the high increase in garlic so that monopolistic practices and unhealthy business competition would not occur.

"According to information from garlic importers, the current import of garlic is not good quality garlic, so they spend quite a lot of money to be able to store the garlic, that's what causes prices in the market to be high," said Jenny.

Jenny said, it is not good for the quality of garlic imported from China because it is exposed to rain and wet so that when onions arrive in Indonesia it shrinks in size.

Importers also have to take special care, because damaged garlic cannot be stored for a long time.