Prabowo Orders Zulhas to Keep Grocery Prices from Rising until Eid

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto ordered the Coordinating Minister for Food and Agriculture Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) that the prices of nine basic commodities (basic necessities) should not rise during the month of Ramadan until Lebaran.

Prabowo ordered Zulhas to go around directly to the regions to check the availability of food, as well as the prices of food and basic necessities remain affordable for the community.

"I was ordered to go around to ensure food, MBG (free nutritious meal), Kopdes (Red and White Village Cooperative). Then, waste processing goes well and of course the staple food (during) fasting and Eid this must be available, affordable, and the price must not rise," said the Coordinating Minister for Food, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, March 2.

Zulhas also conveyed that in the meeting, President Prabowo also ordered that food stocks be closely monitored.

"Yes, we ensure that during the fasting month (until) Eid this year, food stocks must be monitored strictly," said Zulhas.

In addition to Zulhas, the President also summoned the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia for a meeting to discuss a number of issues related to energy, especially after the crisis in the Middle East (Timteng) region.

Bahlil reported the current condition of the energy sector, especially after the Iranian Navy closed the Strait of Hormuz for an unspecified period of time.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the vital choke points in the West Asian region, especially for oil exporting countries to destination countries in Asia.

"(Report to the President, ed.) may concern the current conditions, geopolitics, yes, concerning the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, because this is also an anticipation of the world's oil supply, because we are still importing before Eid," said Bahlil in response to a reporter's question.