Emphasizing On Inflation, Mendag Zulhas Asks Aceh To Use Reserve Funds To Subsidize The Cost Of Transporting Tree Materials

Trade Minister, Zulkifli Hasan. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan asked the regional government in Aceh to use the available reserve funds to subsidize the transportation costs of basic commodities and suppress inflation.

"If inflation is indeed high, then the mayor can use reserve funds to subsidize transportation costs," said Zulkifli Hasan in Banda Aceh, quoted from Antara, Saturday, August 20.

This was conveyed by Zulkifli Hasan during a visit to the Al Mahirah Market, accompanied by the Acting Mayor of Banda Aceh, Bakri Siddiq, a number of members of the Aceh DPR and other elements of the Banda Aceh Regional Government Work Unit (SKPD).

He gave an example, for example, the price of shallots in Banda Aceh is expensive, so the city government can use reserve funds to subsidize the transportation costs of shallots so that logistics costs are not expensive and the selling price at the merchant level remains stable.

"If onion producers in other districts want to transport it here (Banda Aceh), or from Medan, the cost can be taken from the reserve fund so that the price is not expensive, but still cheap," he said.

This, according to Zulkfli, needs to be a concern of the regional government as an effort to keep the prices of basic necessities in an area stable and there is no high inflation.

On the other hand, the Trade Minister ensured that prices for basic commodities in Banda Aceh were still stable.

In fact, he said, some basic commodities in Banda Aceh are cheaper than in Java, such as good quality shallots in Banda Aceh at IDR 30.000 per kilogram, while in Java the price is IDR 40.000 per kilogram.

The price of chicken meat is also cheaper in Banda Aceh than in Java, which is between IDR 25.000-30.000 per kilogram.

Previously, President Joko Widodo mentioned the five regions with the highest current inflation rate, namely Jambi at 8.55 percent, West Sumatra 8.01 percent, Bangka Belitung 7.77 percent, Riau 7.04 percent, and Aceh 6.97 percent.

The five regions are included in 30 regions which according to the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, the inflation rate is above the national inflation of 4.94 percent in July 2022.

President Jokowi ordered all regional governments, both at the district/city and provincial levels, to cooperate with the Central Inflation Control Team (TPID) and the regions (TPID) to suppress the inflation rate.

"I want regents, mayors, governors to really cooperate with the regional TPID and the inflation control team at the center," President Jokowi said while giving directions at the opening of the 2022 Inflation Control Coordination Meeting at the State Palace, Jakarta, Thursday.

The directive was specifically conveyed by President Jokowi to overcome the inflation rate caused by the food group.

The President requested that each regional government identify which food commodity prices are high in their respective regions.