"The rising prices of basic commodities are sourced from imports. Hence, this is clearly due to the influence of the global economic situation," Hotradero noted in a statement here on Thursday.
The observer remarked that government policies, such as market operations to stabilize prices for basic necessities, were still effective enough to suppress food prices from spiking too high.
However, Hotradero believes the most important step to be taken is to fix the supply chain, so that the goods needed by the community are still available in the market.
"It does not matter if the price is high. The important aspect is that the goods are available, because consumers will adjust to it, for instance, by saving money. The situation will become more problematic if the goods are not available," according to Hotradero.
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The observer also expressed optimism that there would be substitutions for basic ingredients that may be obtained domestically and that the people should also be more careful in managing their needs in the midst of current conditions.
Meanwhile, Main Expert Staff of the Presidential Staff Office, Edy Priyono, ensured that Indonesia's economic fundamentals were quite strong in line with the success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also acknowledged the uncertainty of the global economy, though Indonesia's current condition was still resilient to these external pressures.
This optimism is apparent from the Indonesian economy, which in the first quarter of 2022, recorded a growth of 5.01 percent as compared to the previous year, and the decline in the open unemployment rate, from 6.22 percent in February 2021 to 5.83 percent in February 2022.
Priyono stated that the government keeps striving to boost economic growth by taking various steps for accelerating and expanding vaccinations, reopening potential sectors, and distributing social assistance to maintain the people's purchasing power.
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Translator: Katriana
Editor: Suharto
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