Keep Prices Stable, Badanas Holds Cheap Food Market Starting Tomorrow

JAKARTA The National Food Agency (Bapanas) will hold a low-cost food market operation ahead of Ramadan 1446 H. This step was taken by the government to ensure that food supply and prices remain stable.

Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi said that as a strategic step in dealing with Ramadan, the government will hold a low-cost food market operation which will start tomorrow, Tuesday, February 24.

"This is a form of government readiness in maintaining and ensuring food supply and prices," he said in an official statement, Sunday, February 23.

Arief said that this cheap food market operation was a decision in a joint meeting with Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman, Ministry of Trade, and ministries/agencies related to food, as well as SOEs and private sectors.

Furthermore, Arief said that the operation of this cheap food market will take place from February 24 to D-3 Eid al-Fitr 1446 Hijri and be held simultaneously throughout Indonesia by involving food associations and business actors, as well as local governments.

"We will prepare up to more than 4,000 points throughout Indonesia, such as at the Indonesian Post Office, and also in 514 regencies/cities," he said.

Arief said the operation of this cheap food market ensures that people can obtain basic food at affordable prices, especially ahead of the month of Ramadan.

"Various commodities such as rice, cooking oil, sugar, eggs, chicken meat, beef, and various vegetables and fruit will be available at a lower price than market prices," explained Arief.

The strategic staple foods during market operations are prioritized in the form of five food commodities, namely Oilita, garlic, consumption sugar, frozen buffalo meat, and SPHP rice. Even so, other types of food are also still provided.

This is also in accordance with the orders of Mr. President Prabowo so that the community during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr can get cheaper staple food prices. So this is our way of reducing and maintaining availability, namely by getting closer to the community as consumers. God willing, prices can be controlled," he said.

Arief said that he would seek market operations to provide prices below the Highest Retail Price (HET) and Sales Reference Prices (HAP) at the consumer level.

"So we have HET and HAP. Now, if market operations usually cost below that. This is what we hope for, of course, support from all parties, including the private sector, associations in the food sector," he said.

"So there is an association of cooking oil, then a layer breeder for chickenball, private sector. We invite everyone to be involved in maintaining prices ahead of Ramadan and Eid," he continued.