Minister and Police to Prevent the Stockpiling of Basic Goods

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Ministry of Commerce (Ministry of Commerce) increased coordination with the Police to maintain the stabilization of prices and supply of basic materials especially ahead of the National Religious Great Day (HBKN) of Eid al-Fitri 1445 Hijriah/2024.

While attending the Cross-Sectoral Coordination Meeting of Operation Ketupat 2024 in Jakarta, Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan conveyed the support of the Police, among other things, keeping the market situation in the fasting period and Lebaran 2024 conducive by putting forward a persuasive approach to the basic necessities business operators.

Baca Juga

“We convey our expectations to the police institutions in maintaining price and supply stabilization ahead of HBKN Eid 1445H/2024,” Zulkifli said in a statement on Monday (25/3/2024).

Zulkifli said that coordination with the Police also takes the form of monitoring the smooth distribution of food, including cooking oil from the warehouses of distributors to the people's markets, in order to prevent possible acts of speculation or hoarding that would harm the community.

In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also asked the Police to maintain the smooth distribution of cargo and essential goods, especially during the period of restrictions on the transport of fasting and Lebaran goods, by giving priority to distribution for freight transporting fathers.

In the report, Zulkifli Hasan said that the Ministry of Commerce has cooperated with trade services throughout Indonesia to continuously monitor the development of the availability and price of food online and daily.

Monitoring is carried out through the Market and Basic Needs Monitoring System (SP2KP) in more than 550 people's markets spread across 503 districts/cities in 38 provinces across Indonesia.

“The monitoring of babok in the people's market is an early indication of the conditions for price stabilization and availability so that it can be used as one of the basis for decision-making in maintaining price stability and inflation at the targeted level,” Zulkifli said.

The Ministry of Commerce has synergized through Rakor HBKN with ministries/agencies, local governments, and business operators, which was held on March 4, 2024.

Following up on the report, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appealed to the local government to optimize the inter-regional trade cooperation scheme in meeting the supply of food and to provide assistance with distribution costs if necessary.