Minister Of Trade Lutfi Ensures Prices Of Basic Needs Are Safe Ahead Of Ramadan

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Trade (Mendag) Muhammad Lutfi guarantees that prices and basic necessities are safe ahead of Ramadan, with supplies available at stable selling prices.

"I can assure you that this year's Ramadan fasting prices for goods are stable, affordable, even with the harvest, it is likely that they will decline," said Trade Minister Lutfi after visiting Kramat Jati Market, Jakarta, as quoted from Antara, Wednesday, April 7.

The Trade Minister directly checks the prices and supplies of staple goods ahead of Ramadan 2021 at the Kramat Jati Main Market to confirm prices from upstream, as a reference for selling prices in the retail market to consumers.

"I checked the availability of goods at the Kramat Jati Main Market to check from the upstream. So, if we can see earlier, all goods can be said to be stable, even declining," said the Trade Minister.

According to the Trade Minister, the price of shallots is stable in the range of IDR 18,000-IDR 21,000 per kilogram. Then the price of curly chilies, which previously touched the price of Rp. 100,000 per kilogram, today the price is close to Rp. 70,000 per kilogram.

"Even later, the harvest will decrease again. Likewise with red chilies," said the Trade Minister.

In addition, the price of garlic is at the same price as red onions, which is in the range of IDR 18,000-IDR 21,000 per kilogram, which means that in the retail market the price will only increase by IDR 1,000 per kilogram. So that the price when it reaches the customer is still below the Highest Retail Price (HET), which is IDR 32,000-IDR 35,000.

Regarding the fragile price of chilies, the Trade Minister is trying to find a formulation so that the price does not fluctuate easily during harvest or famine.

"For chilies, I would say that this is an item that is very volatile during harvest and famine. So I try to make this item last longer and the cropping pattern can be separated. So, not again when the harvest is at the same time the price falls, but when the price is famine, it will increase, "said the Trade Minister.

On this occasion, the Trade Minister confirmed that there had not been any import measures for various basic needs, considering that the supply could already be fulfilled from within the country.

"I think now if we look at everything, all goods are already available. If I look at the price of rice, the prices for premium are all stable. So, maybe everything can be fulfilled from within the country so there is no need for imports," the Trade Minister concluded.