Police Haven't Found A Case Of Hoarding Cooking Oil

Cooking Oil/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The National Police's Food Task Force (Satgas) continues to monitor the one-price cooking oil policy in a number of parts of Indonesia. So far, there has been no indication of hoarding or 'panic buying', causing supply shortages.

"There is not any yet. Our team continues to move to West Java, Central Java, especially in Java," said the Head of the National Police's Food Task Force Inspector General Helmy Santika at the National Police Headquarters, Jakarta, Monday, January 31.

According to him, there are concerns from business actors ahead of the government's implementation of the Highest Retail Price (HET) for Cooking Oil starting February 1, 2022, so they withhold sales.

"Because business actors bought the previous stock of oil at a higher price," he said.

For this reason, the National Police Food Task Force encourages business actors and provides an understanding that the difference in the selling price of cooking oil will be borne by the government

"Currently what the Food Task Force is doing is appealing to business actors, distributors, that there is a government policy regarding the HET for cooking oil of Rp.

The most important thing, he continued, is that business actors make notes, with the term devaksi, namely the calculation between the old price and the new price, the difference between which can be replaced by the government.

"But holding the goods is wrong," he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief of the National Police's Food Task Force Brigadier General Whisnu Hermawan said that the vacancy in the availability of cooking oil in modern retail was more due to market mechanisms and consumer behavior, with economic principles going to buy premium packaged cooking oil sold in modern retail.

"The vacancy for cooking oil in modern retail is only temporary, because it is currently a transition period, because starting tomorrow, February 1, 2022, the HET for cooking oil according to type will be applied, which is regulated in Minister of Trade Regulation No. 6 of 2022," said Whisnu.

The Ministry of Trade issues Minister of Trade Regulation No. 6 of 2022 concerning the Application of the Highest Retail Price (HET) for palm cooking oil which will take effect in February 2022.

This Permendag is a continuation of the government's efforts to ensure availability at affordable prices for households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).