Crazy! Cooking Oil Price In Kendari Reaches IDR 70,000/Liter, Mothers Willing To Queue For Hours

Illustration: The atmosphere of mothers, while queuing in front of a cooking oil distributor warehouse (Photo Via Antara)

KENDARI - The price of cooking oil in a number of traditional markets in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra) continues to climb up to more than IDR 70,000 per liter. This price increase is the highest in recent years.

"This is an insane price and very strange because our area is not only the largest producer of palm oil in the world, coconut products are also found everywhere, but strangely enough, cooking oil is scarce," said Kiki (34), a housewife in Indonesia. Kendari, quoted from Antara, Thursday, March 10.

According to Kiki, during the past week, mothers had difficulty finding cooking oil. Even if there are, the number sold by distributors is limited so they have to queue for hours to get them.

For example, residents in Wundudopi Village, Baruga District, Kendari. On Tuesday, March 8 and Wednesday, March 9, there was a line at a distributor's warehouse to get two liters of cooking oil. Residents must deposit their identity cards (KTP) the day before they get cooking oil as a condition.

Responding to the scarcity of cooking oil, the government through the Regional Inflation Control Team (TPID) asked the people in the capital city of the Southeast Sulawesi Province to report if they found any person, either from the distributor or cooking oil agent, who deliberately hoarded it.

The Head of Industry and Trade of the Southeast Sulawesi Province, Siti Saleha, separately said that her party together with the relevant agencies who are members of the TPID will continue to monitor and monitor the development of cooking oil prices, which continue to soar.

"Don't let a rogue distributor sell at a price above HET (Highest Retail Price) then there is hoarding, hoarding means affecting prices and scarcity," he said.

One of the government's other efforts in overcoming this, continued Siti Saleha, the Southeast Sulawesi Disperindag will hold a market operation in the Perindag office yard on March 15.

"We are trying to do this on March 15, God willing, we will have carried out market operations and when the stock runs out, we will ask the distributor again," he explained.