Oilita Prices In 82 Regencies-Cities Rise Above HET, Reaches IDR 17,058 Per Liter

Illustration - Oilita. (Photo: Doc Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) said there was an increase in the price of people's cooking oil or Oilita to Rp17,058 per liter in 82 districts/cities of Indonesia.

Director of Basic Necessities and Important Goods (Bupokting) of the Ministry of Trade Bambang Wisnubroto said there was an increase in the price of Oilita by 1.05 percent to Rp. 17,058 per liter, where the highest retail price (HET) was set at Rp. 15,700 per liter.

"For Oilita itself, the increase was 1.05 percent to approximately Rp. 17,058 per liter," said Bambang as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, November 18.

Bambang explained that the increase in cooking oil prices also occurred in bulk packaging to Rp. 17,119 per liter.

According to Bambang, the price of bulk oil really depends on the price of crude palm oil (CPO).

There are 188 cities that experienced an increase in cooking oil, where the main contributors were rising bulk oil in 146 districts/cities, oil in 82 districts/cities and premium oil in 79 districts/cities.

In addition, there are 32 areas that are priority interventions because the price of Oilita is above Rp. 18,000 per liter, specifically in eastern Indonesia.

The Ministry of Trade through the Directorate General of Consumer and Trade Order Supervision (PKTN) together with the National Police's Food Task Force will carry out intensive supervision and take firm action against retailers who sell not in accordance with HET, as stated in the Regulation of the Minister of Trade (Permendag) Number 18 of 2024.

"Especially for Oilita, we may have action, we think on the retailer side there are many who sell above HET. So we will do it in the next few weeks to provide a therapeutic shock to the market to sell according to HET," said Bambang.

Previously, the Director General of Domestic Trade (Dirjen PDN) of the Ministry of Trade, Moga Simatupang, the increase in the price of Oilita, which exceeded the price of Rp. 17,000 per liter, was indicated because of the formation of a long distribution chain so that retailers did not immediately take it from distributors.

With a long distribution, it is possible that there will be transactions among retailers so that the selling price in the community becomes higher.

"Although the distribution of Oilita has been regulated through Permendag 18/2024, it does not rule out the possibility of transactions between retailers in the market. This is considering the high demand for Oilita," said Moga.