Residents Complain About Scarcity Of Cooking Oil In Tulungagung

The buyer stood dumbfounded after his attempts to get cooking oil at one of the modern chain stores in Tulungagung were fruitless. (Destyan Sujarwoko)

TULUNGAGUNG - A number of residents in Tulungagung Regency, East Java began to complain about the scarcity of cooking oil in the market, including in modern chain stores which have been predicted to be the implementers of the one-price cooking oil policy set by the government.

"In fact, every time I want to buy cooking oil, modern shops are always empty. Even if there is a supply, but if there are only one or two boxes containing three or a maximum of five packages, of course the people who have queued first will buy it out," complained Winna. , a housewife who lives in a housing complex in Tulungagung City, quoted by Antara, Friday, February 18.

What Winna felt also became the complaints of other housewives.

Even if they still get cooking oil, the price has skyrocketed. From the supposed maximum of Rp. 14 thousand per liter according to the highest retail price set by the government, the price of cooking oil has actually increased to above Rp. 22 thousand per liter.

As a result, their daily shopping load swells. "This is how if we let it go we could go bankrupt. The income has decreased as a result of the pandemic, the prices of basic necessities and kitchen needs continue to rise," complained Fatimah, another housewife.

Ironically, the conditions were evenly distributed. The Department of Industry and Trade of Tulungagung Regency argued that cooking oil was scarce because there were individuals who hoarded it for personal or economic motives.

"Surprisingly, when cooking oil raw materials are scarce like today, on social media there are even impromptu cooking oil traders. Even though in your market it's currently scarce. These people claim to have a lot of cooking oil stocks and are unlucky to sell them online at a price of Rp. 18,000 to Rp. Rp. 21,000 per liter," said Fattah, a young NU leader in Tulungagung.

Fattah admitted that he suspected that something was wrong with this scarcity situation. If it is proven that the hoarding has been carried out by unscrupulous traders or residents, he hopes that the police and the Food Task Force of Tulungagung Regency will act quickly.

Tulungagung Police Chief, AKBP Handono Subiakto said this case would be his attention during his tenure in Tulungagung Regency.

"We first check where the problem is, where is the distribution blockage," he said.

If it is proven that there is hoarding or playing games, then his party will not hesitate to take action against the naughty traders. "If there are indications of hoarding, we will act against the law," said Handono.