Don't Be Surprised, Cooking Oil Stocks Below Premium Are Not Available In Bogor City

Atmosphere of the queue at the cooking oil agent Toko Makmur Bogor City Jalan MA Salmun (ANTARA)

BOGOR - The Bogor City Government, West Java, stated that the stock of cooking oil according to the Highest Retail Price (HET) under the premium packaging of Rp. 14,000 was not yet available in traditional markets.

This was stated by the Head of the Division of Domestic Trade Development, Consumer Protection and Orderly Commerce of the Department of Cooperatives, SMEs, Trade and Industry (DiskopUKMdagin) Bogor City, Mohamad Soleh.

"Cooking oil according to HET in simple packaging has not yet entered the city of Bogor," said Soleh in Bogor, Antara, Thursday, February 24. According to Soleh, currently the distribution of premium packaged cooking oil of IDR 14,000 HET is still limited to being sold in traditional markets.

A number of premium cooking oil trademarks such as Bimoli, Sanco, Filma, Trofical, Kuncimas, Forvita, Sedap were not even available at the beginning of the HET policy about two weeks ago. Meanwhile, other trademarks of Sania, Fortune, Sovia, Cemara, Resto, Honest SIIP are available in limited quantities.

Bogor City's cooking oil agent, Toko Makmur, said Soleh, has allocated premium and bulk cooking oil purchases due to limited stock availability.

Resto and SIIP premium cooking oil as well as bulk cooking oil with a capacity of 16 kilograms have been traded since the HET policy was implemented, although with the condition that per purchase of three cartons plus other items such as coffee, shrimp paste and others.

A number of traders met by Antara at the Warung Jambu Market and Pasar Baru Bogor admitted that they had not sold HET cooking oil in premium packaging of Rp. 14,000, let alone simple packages of Rp. 13,500 and Rp. 11,500.

A grocery trader at Warung Jambu Market, Jarkasih, admits he doesn't sell HET cooking oil. He only sells premium cooking oil of various brands at a price of Rp. 15,000 and Rp. 18,000. "Nothing, nothing, I only sell it from Rp. 15,000," he said.

Another trader in the same market, Ahmad said that usually premium packaged HET cooking oil of Rp. 14,000 is also sent every two weeks, while simple packages have never been stocked.

"There is Rp 14,000 of cooking oil, it only comes once every two weeks, the time is uncertain, now it's empty, the ones below don't exist yet," he said.

At Pasar Baru Bogor, grocery trader Ujang admitted that he did not receive HET cooking oil stock. "There is no HET here, there is a bulk of Rp. 18,000," he said.

Another fairly large grocery store, Tiga Sodara provides cooking oil according to HET with a limited amount which is immediately redistributed to other retail traders.

"Got it every two weeks, now it's empty. If we have one, we sell it, we give it to another shop," said the waiter at the shop.

The search continues to Toko Makmur which is a cooking oil agent in Bogor City. One of the shop owners, Acun, said that there were 800 boxes of HET cooking oil available for Resto and SIIP brands per two days.

A total of 250 boxes were given to three markets and the rest were sold in stores to serve their customers with a minimum purchase of half a dozen packaged milk per box of Resto or SIIP brand cooking oil. The shoppers in the shop are allotted to only buy two boxes per purchase.

"One box contains 12 packages of Resto or SIIP premium cooking oil, the price is Rp. 167,000," he explained. According to Acun, until now, simple packaged HET cooking oil has not been distributed in Bogor City.