Oxygen Price Rises 900 Percent, Legal Expert: Police Must Take Act On Perpetrators With Trade Law

JAKARTA - The Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) found that the increase in the price of portable oxygen and oxygen cylinders in DKI Jakarta, which had occurred since the COVID-19 case jumped in mid-June, reached the range of 16 percent to 900 percent.

Responding to this, Suparji Achmad, a criminal law expert, believes that the police must investigate and take firm action against these findings. The investigation, he said, could be based on the trade law.

 

"The police need to investigate because there may be parties playing with the scarcity and increase in oxygen. The police can explore using Article 107 of the Trade Law", said Suparji, Thursday, July 8.

 

This lecturer at Al Azhar University Indonesia explained that under certain conditions that can disrupt national trade activities, the Government is obliged to guarantee the supply and price stabilization of basic necessities and essential goods.

 

Article 29 paragraph (1) of the Trade Law has regulated the prohibition of stockpiling goods under certain conditions. The prohibition is intended to avoid hoarding of goods that will make it difficult for consumers to obtain basic necessities and/or essential goods, in this case, oxygen.

 

"Business actors must pay attention to Article 107 of Law 7 of 2014 concerning Trade", he said.

This article, he continued, contains the threat of imprisonment for a maximum of 5 years and/or a maximum fine of IDR 50 billion for business actors who violate the prohibition on storing basic necessities or essential goods in a certain amount and time when there is a shortage of goods, price fluctuations, or traffic barriers to trade in goods.

 

Apart from the police, according to him, KPPU must also take action against the fantastic increase in oxygen prices. Do not let, said Suparji, there is unfair business competition.

 

KPPU must prevent business actors from taking unfair advantage of the suffering of others.

 

"There needs to be real and decisive action from the KPPU in order to keep the price of oxygen affordable for the community. Do not let the community even be burdened in the midst of a pandemic", he stressed.

 

Meanwhile, the government in this case the Ministry of Trade needs to intervene by setting the highest price for medical oxygen. Suparji said this step is to provide legal certainty to people in need.

 

"The Ministry of Trade can also make a list of the highest prices to provide legal certainty and as an effort to relieve people who are in trouble. For example, the Ministry of Trade sets the highest price for drugs that are considered to treat COVID-19", he concluded.