Bogor Walkot Bima Arya Asks Residents Not To Panic Rare Cooking Oil, Traders Reveal Agents About Buying Migor Packages Of Vermicelli

Bogor Mayor Bima Arya Sugiarto/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

BOGOR - Mayor of Bogor, West Java, Bima Arya Sugiarto asked the public not to panic over the scarcity of packaged cooking oil in the market so that they buy in large quantities or panic buying.

"Indeed, there are still problems with the distribution, but we will make sure there is no panic buying," Bima Arya told reporters after a review of cooking oil prices at Pasar Baru Bogor, reported by Antara, Wednesday, March 16.

Bima Arya admitted that based on the results of his review at several basic food shops in the market, packaged cooking oil according to HET was scarce from the start, due to limited stock deliveries from distributors to agents to shops.

Currently, HET packaged cooking oil is difficult to find at traders because there are restrictions on purchases starting from the number of only two boxes containing 12 1 liter packages for each purchase combined with vermicelli.

However, the availability of bulk cooking oil is still sufficient, even though the purchase price at traders and the selling price to the public is still above the standard price.

Bima also said that the Bogor City Government had coordinated with the Bogor City Police to supervise the distribution of cooking oil in all markets in the area.

In the rainy city, there are 14 traditional markets consisting of Devris Market, Bogor Baru Market, Bogor Plaza Market, Blok A and B Kebon Kembang Bogor (KKB) Markets, Blok F and G KKB Markets, Sukasari Market, and Merdeka Market.

Next, Jambu Dua Market, Padasuka Market, Pamoyanan Market, Tanah Baru Market, Taman Kencana Market, General Engineering Market, and Gunung Batu Market.

Bogor City Police Chief Kombes Susatyo Purnomo Condro added that his party had formed a joint team consisting of 200 TNI, Polri, and local Cooperatives, MSMEs, Industry and Trade (DiskopUMKMdagin) officers.

"Every day this team will monitor the distribution to the buyers according to the rules," said Kombes Susatyo.

Meanwhile, one of the traders at Pasar Baru Bogor, Wati, said that the cooking oil according to the highest retail price (HET) she bought on Tuesday (15/3) was still limited to two boxes per purchase at a large store in Pasar Baru Bogor, namely Toko 56.

According to him, purchases at Toko Makmur agents also apply the same thing if you buy directly. Therefore, it is better to buy from big shops in every market, so that traders do not need to buy directly from agents.

Agents also get around so that people don't buy too much by selling cooking oil for Rp. 14,000 per package with one package of vermicelli for Rp. 6,000.

"So those who want to buy cooking oil buy a package for Rp. 20,000," said Wati.

Currently, the price of bulk cooking oil from agents has increased by Rp. 1,500 per liter, from Rp. 14,000 to Rp. 15,500, so that sales have reached Rp. 17,000 per liter.

"Here's a bill, I sell that much, I have to buy plastic and rubber," he said.