Visit To Kebayoran Lama Market, Trade Minister: Cooking Oil Sold Above Government HET

JAKARTA - The Minister of Trade, Muhammad Lutfi, conducted an inspection with his staff to a market in the Kebayoran Lama area, South Jakarta, to ensure the availability and price of cooking oil. The reason is, people complain that it is difficult to get cooking oil in the market.

From the results of his search, Lutfi ensures that the current availability of cooking oil is sufficient, because he has seen firsthand that stocks are available, both for bulk cooking oil and simple and premium packaging.

"This morning I and the Head of the National Food Agency Mr. Arif, Director General of PDN Mr. Oke, Director General of PLN Mr. Wishnu and Director of BUMN PPI Mr. Andri. We saw about the availability of cooking oil, basic needs, including meat. We can see earlier that cooking oil available, both in bulk and in packaging," he said when met at the Kebayoran Lama Market, South Jakarta, Wednesday, March 9.

However, Lutfi admits that the current problem is that traders do not sell according to the Highest Retail Price (HET). He regretted this, even though the price offered by the supplier was at Rp. 10,500 per liter.

"The problem today is that none of the kiosks we visited were selling according to the highest retail price (HET) determined by the government," said Lutfi.

Lutfi explained that the suppliers of cooking oil had actually come directly to the traders in the market, and gave a price of Rp. 10,500 for each liter of bulk cooking oil.

Furthermore, Lutfi said with a capital price of Rp. 10,500 per liter of cooking oil obtained by the traders, the price of bulk cooking oil they sold should not be more than Rp. 11,500.

"This supplier comes directly, the oil is sold at a price of Rp. 10,500, and it should not be sold in this (market) for no more than Rp. 11,500 for bulk, and this margin is also sufficient," he said.

Lutfi said there was a mismatch between modern retail and simple or traditional retail related to the price of cooking oil. Because of this traditional retail the price is much higher.

"So people can queue at the market or modern retail, then enter traditional retail, and sell at a much higher price than the government has determined. Because we have ensured that the supply (of cooking oil) is sufficient, even doubled in Jakarta," he said.

To deal with this, Lutfi ensured that his party would coordinate with law enforcement officers and civil servant investigators, to ensure that no one else sells cooking oil above the retail price determined by the government.

"We will coordinate with law enforcement officers and civil servant investigators to ensure that no one sells above HET," he concluded.