"The price of rice, salt, sugar, garlic, and other basic necessities were relatively stable," Tito said.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Police Chief General Tito Karnavian has claimed the success of the Food Task Force to maintain the price stability of basic necessities during the Ramadan fasting month and Eid al-Fitr this year.
"The price of rice, salt, sugar, garlic, and other basic necessities were relatively stable," Tito said at the police headquarters here on Monday.
According to Tito, the price stability could be maintained by the adequate supply of basic necessities and continued monitoring of its distribution in the market.
"In addition to adequate supply from Agriculture Ministry and Trade Ministry, we have also secured its distribution," the police chief noted.
"It was due to the strict law enforcement by the Food Task Force led by Inspector General Setyo Wasisto and our partner from the trade monitoring commission as well as local governments. We worked together and this has made the speculators reluctant to interfere with the price," he remarked.
Since its establishment before Ramadan, the task force had regularly held market operation.
It has handled 206 cases during the fasting month, most of them on food hoarding.
"Majority of the case were related to food hoarding and creating scarcity, leading to an increase in the price. But all these have been foiled," he claimed.
Tito asserted that the task force would not be dissolved although the Operation Ramadniya 2017 would end on July 4.
"If we relax our operation, they will play games again," Tito added.
The Food Task Force comprises of the police personnel, Trade Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU), state logistic agency (Bulog), and Customs Office. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
