Traders To Trade Minister Zulhas: Salt Prices Soar Rp300,000 Per Sack

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Traders at Rawamangun Market, East Jakarta, complained about the increase in the price of consumption salt reaching Rp300,000 per sack measuring 50 kilograms (kg).

One of them, Upik. He complained about the increase in salt. Upik said, usually the price of salt is not as expensive as this, only around Rp. 100,000 per sack.

According to Upik's calculation, with the purchase price, the selling price is around Rp. 6,000 per kg. He considered the selling price too expensive.

"Sir, the salt goes down, sir. This is a high increase. The increase is IDR 300,000 per sack (50 kg) Usually buys 100,000 per sack. The difference is IDR 6,000," he told Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, at Rawamangun Market, East Jakarta, Monday, April 3.

Responding to the complaint, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said he would immediately check the problems that caused the price of salt to soar.

On that occasion, Zulhas, Zulkifli Hasan's nickname, also asked the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi to intervene.

"I'll check the salt later, Mr. Arief, where will the problem be. Because if there is no import for salt, it's not imported, it's local salt, I know," said Zulhas.

Agreeing with Upik, Head of Badanas Arief said the selling price of Rp6,000 per kg of salt is a price that is too high.

"If I check the salt later, because the salt is actually not possible, the number is Rp6,000, I'll check it later," he explained.

Arief explained that he could not decide whether there was a problem with the supply chain.

The reason is, if this summer the price of salt is currently impossible to move up.

"I'll check it later so the information is wrong, the salt is actually really cheap, salt when it's hot like this the price will be good but if it rains the other way around," he said.