Aprindo Asks The Government To Relax The HET Of Basic Materials

Prospective buyers shopped at a shopping center in Sukabumi City, West Java, Monday (20/11/2023)... (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association (APRINDO) has asked the Government to relax its highest retail price (HET) and other benchmark prices for basic commodities such as rice, sugar and cooking oil which have the potential to continue to increase in February 2024.

Chairman of Aprindo Roy N Mandey said that changes to HET need to be made so that retailers can continue to provide basic materials to prevent vacancies or scarcity in modern retail outlets.

"We need the attitude of the Government and the authorities to also implement the HET rules so that retailers can continue to buy, provide and sell basic needs for the community," Roy said when confirmed by ANTARA in Jakarta, Sunday, February 11.

This relaxation also aims to prevent vacancies and scarcity of basic commodities, especially in February 2024 the retailers began to make purchases from producers to prepare for the supply of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr at modern retail outlets.

Aprindo also requested that there be intensive coordination and communication between ministries/agencies and business actors in the upstream (productor) to downstream (per retailer) sector to present policies that are oriented towards urgency and adaptive solutions.

"So the anomaly problem of the price of basic commodities can be managed and controlled properly," said Roy.

It is known, a number of basic commodities such as rice have increased in various parts of Indonesia. This increase was triggered by high consumer demand compared to the availability of goods.

Aprindo also said that the price increase was caused by producers who raised prices above HET, so retailers were forced to adjust to the purchase price (buy).

Roy said that the increase in prices from producers could cause a shortage or scarcity of basic commodities at modern Indonesian retail outlets.

According to Roy, the scarcity that occurs in the future can cause panic buying or overpurchasing because he is afraid of a shortage of stock.

At the present retailer, it is said that it is starting to have difficulty getting rice supplies for the local premium type of 5 kilograms of packaging. This limitation is due to the fact that the harvest period is expected to only occur in mid-March 2024.

In addition, the absence of medium-type rice (SPHP) imported by the government is also the cause of scarcity and high rice prices.

"This situation and unbalanced condition between supply and demand has resulted in an increase in the HET of rice in the modern retail market and the people's market," said Roy.