Ministry Of Home Affairs Asks Local Governments To Pay Attention To Skyrocketing Chili And Cooking Oil Prices

Red cayenne pepper. (Unsplash-Cecep Rahmat)

JAKARTA - Acting Secretary General (Sekjen) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Tomsi Tohir asked the local government (Pemda) to pay attention to the increase in the price of cayenne pepper, cooking oil and rice.

According to him, cooperation between ministries/agencies and cooperation between regions, especially neighboring areas, is needed to help each other.

"This requires cooperation, of course, from Bulog and the regions, as well as related to the cooking oil earlier, so that friends in the regions can check the distribution, and for cayenne pepper it is related to the planting," said Tomsi in his statement in Jakarta, Monday, July 29, quoted by Antara.

He revealed that certain areas still have problems related to distribution and planting movements. The increase in commodity prices must be overcome in each region, especially cayenne pepper.

Tomsi said cayenne pepper is not a commodity category that is quite difficult, but a commodity that is easy to grow and grow.

"I can convey, with the 84th meeting, friends from regional heads, especially the Agriculture Service in this area, not anticipating or perhaps not anticipating," he continued.

He added, if the local government does not make good planning by observing which months the commodities have increased, it is feared that the increase will continue to occur.

Tomsi asked the regional inflation secretariat consisting of the Regional Inflation Control Team (TPID) and the Regional Food Task Force to overcome this.

"There is one thing, we should not do repeated shortcomings. This is what needs to be underlined," added Tomsi.

In addition, Tomsi also reminded local governments that have not distributed regional election grant funds to the KPU, Bawaslu, and TNI/Polri in each region to immediately distribute them.

Including for local governments who have not signed the Regional Grant Agreement (NPHD) manuscript and have not distributed a security budget for the TNI/Polri so that it can be implemented immediately.

He emphasized that the availability of funds is important to pay attention to because the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada stages continue. In fact, the registration stage for candidate pairs will also be carried out soon, before the voting is held on November 27, 2024.

"In the near future, approximately one month away, it doesn't arrive, we have already implemented registration for regional head elections and continue with the series. And the whole series certainly requires smooth running of funds," he said.