In the last two weeks, there is an upward trend in (cooking oil price) after the deflation of cooking oil (prices) between July and August 2022Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung (ANTARA) - Deputy Home Affairs Minister John Wempi Wetipo urged local governments to be cautious of the surging prices of rice and cooking oil ahead of Christmas and New Year 2023.
"I warn of a potential increase in staple commodities, such as rice and cooking oil, ahead of Christmas and New Year, which will have implications for rising inflation," Wetipo remarked while leading a virtual coordination meeting on inflation control here on Monday.
He said that in the last two weeks, five regions -- Jambi, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and East Java -- had experienced the highest increase in prices of good-quality rice.
"In the last two weeks, there is an upward trend in (cooking oil price) after the deflation of cooking oil (prices) between July and August 2022," he stated.
Hence, he urged regional governments across the country to take five steps in controlling and dealing with inflation ahead of Christmas and New Year 2023.
The first effort entails conducting market operations by taking into account commodities that contribute to inflation.
The second endeavor is to inspect the market and distributors to ensure that they do not hold on to goods, while the third effort is intensifying cooperation with commodity-producing regions for smooth supply, and the fourth is campaigning to plant staple commodities.
"The fifth is realizing unexpected expenditure funds (BTT) to support inflation control and provide assistance to (freight) transportation from the regional budget (APBD)," Wetipo stated.
Meanwhile, Head of the Bangka Belitung Islands Provincial Transportation Office Asban Aris remarked that the provincial government will disburse subsidy amounting to Rp3.35 billion for freight trucks for staples to help control the inflation rate.
"The provincial government has allocated a budget of Rp3.35 billion, Rp350 million from the regional budget and Rp3 billion from the regional incentive fund (DID) for the transportation subsidy," Aris remarked.
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Translator: Aprionis, Kenzu
Editor: Sri Haryati
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