Anticipating the Increase in Food Prices Nearing the End of the Year, the Government Prepares a Special Strategy

Jakarta, wapresri.go.id – Towards the end of the year, the price of a number of basic food materials usually gets increased. This usually occurs due to a large demand from the public ahead of the celebration of Christmas and New Year’s Day, thus making supplies run low. Therefore, the government continues to push for strategies to stabilize food prices to anticipate the upward trend towards the end of the year.

“The government has prepared a strategy that the regions are ready to anticipate the possibility of price increases. Regions must be ready to prepare [anticipatory steps],” said Vice President (VP) K.H. Ma’ruf Amin in an interview with Radio Elshinta at the Vice President’s Palace, Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan Number 6, Jakarta, Thursday (27/10/2022).

Furthermore, the VP conveyed that these anticipatory strategies include ensuring that food stocks remain under control, so that there is no scarcity.

“All governors are preparing food security for their daily needs. If there is a commodity that is not available in their area, they must buy it from another area so that the price is stable. And the cost of transportation is borne by the local government, so the price does not increase. Well, this is in order to [stabilize food prices],” stated the VP.

From the community side, the VP also emphasized that the government through the relevant authority will carry out close monitoring of groups or individuals who are indicated to hoard food, resulting in scarcity in the market, and causing price spikes.

“We also warn that certain groups, or people who take advantage of the situation, the authority can control, there are groups of speculators who raise prices, this will continue to be monitored by the government,” explains the VP.

“We want people not to be burdened, so that prices remain stable and inflation is also controlled, and people have no difficulty getting their needs,” he added.

Closing the interview, the VP advised all parties, both from the government and the community to continue to collaborate in maintaining food security in Indonesia, as well as maintaining the security of food stocks. This includes the implementation of the best practices that have been carried out so far so that they can be maintained and improved.

Thus, the VP believes that price stability can be achieved and the community can fulfill their needs without facing serious constrain.

“We have prepared ourselves and prepared food security in the region. I have heard that each area, for example, Jogja, has prepared thousands of hectares for safekeeping and this cannot be lost, planted with superior seeds, and it turns out that it is a surplus. The model is like that,” concluded the Vice President.

Present to accompany the VP in this interview were the Head of the Vice President’s Secretariat Ahmad Erani Yustika, Deputy for Economic Policy Support and Competitiveness Improvement Guntur Iman Nefianto, Special Staff for the VP Masduki Baidlowi, and the Expert Team of the VP Farhat Brachma. (NN/LHS, BPMI – Setwapres)