The Chaotic Problem Of Cooking Oil Scarcity In South Sumatra: The Market Can't Get IDR 14,000 Oil Supply, Alfamart Often Sells Out Due To Panic Buying

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Provincial Government of South Sumatra cooperates with the National Police's Food Task Force to overcome the scarcity of cooking oil that occurs in modern retail markets to traditional markets.

"We will immediately take concrete steps with the Food Task Force even though South Sumatra is not as bad as other places," said South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru at Griya Agung Palembang, quoted from Antara, Monday, February 21.

He said that South Sumatra needed anticipatory steps to overcome the scarcity of cooking oil.

One of them is by ensuring that there are no violations, both in the supply chain to the distribution chain.

"This cartel, or decreased production, or increased demand. This must be answered this week," he said.

By knowing the cause, it is hoped that these anticipatory steps can be right on target so that cooking oil is easily obtained at affordable prices by the community.

Sri, the owner of the Sari Rasa shop at the Perumnas Market, said that it had been almost two weeks that he had not sold cooking oil.

This is because they do not get supplies from their regular cooking oil distributors.

"If you want to sell, distributors sell them for Rp. 14,000 per liter, while the government makes a rule that they must sell Rp. 14,000 per liter. So I choose not to sell first," he said.

Similarly, Ali, another trader said that he also did not get supplies from distributors to sell cooking oil at a price of Rp. 14,000 per liter.

"Oil now has a price, there is no goods," he said.

Based on market monitoring, if there are consumers who want to buy at a price of Rp. 16,000 per liter for Sunco brand packaged cooking oil, then there are traders who are still selling.

"I was forced to buy the Rp 16,000 per liter, rather than none at all," said Amelia, a local resident.

Meanwhile, cooking oil is also not found in modern retail markets such as Alfamart.

Regarding this, the Branch Corporate Communication of PT Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Palembang, Rendra Satria, also did not object.

It continuously supplies cooking oil with various brands and packaging to shops under the Alfamart network at a price of Rp. 14,000 per liter since the implementation of the price of One Price cooking oil.

However, due to panic buying, cooking oil stocks are always sold out, no matter how many are sent from the warehouse.

"We have worked around that one receipt can only buy a maximum of two liters, but it's still sold out," he said.