Inspection Of Cooking Oil, Trade Minister Lutfi Angry At Traders: Not Because I Came In Stock!

Minister of Trade, M. Lutfi. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi conducted an inspection at the Kebayoran Lama Market, South Jakarta to ensure that the stock and price of cooking oil on the market were in accordance with the Highest Retail Price (HET) set by the government.

During the inspection, Lutfi met with several cooking oil traders in the market. He asked how the stock of cooking oil.

"Is there cooking oil? When will this come?" said Lutfi, when met at the Kebayoran Lama Market, South Jakarta, Wednesday, March 9.

A cooking oil trader named Tohir also explained that the stock was available.

"Yes sir, came yesterday," said Tohir.

In response to this, Lutfi ensured that the stock of cooking oil was indeed available. It's not because the trader knows he's going to inspect the market today.

"When was that yesterday? It's because I wanted to come, maybe there's a price. How much is this?" Lutfi asked.

Tohir explained that the price of simple packaged cooking oil that he sells is Rp. 14,000 per liter, like the prevailing HET. Meanwhile, premium packaged cooking oil with the Sania brand is priced at IDR 18,000 per liter.

"It's not because of me and Pak Arief (Head of the National Food Agency) that the price has come to Rp. 14,000, right," said Lutfi.

Responding to Lutfi, Tohir said that for simple packaged cooking oil with the Hemat trademark, it had gone down and followed HET. However, he admits that it is difficult to get a lot of stock because the purchases from distributors are limited.

"It can't be limited to a lot, 5 cartons. You have to order first a month," said Tohir.