Until early Ramadan, 75 districts and cities from 15 provinces have submitted applications for GPM to the agency, NFA head Arief Prasetyo Adi informed here on Tuesday.
The 15 provinces are West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), West Java, Aceh, Gorontalo, Papua, Southeast Sulawesi, Jambi, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), North Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, North Maluku, West Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, South Papua, and Bengkulu.
"The number will still continue to grow because every day, the NFA's deputy I that is in charge of food availability and stabilization intensively coordinates with the food affairs offices, both at the province and district/city levels," Adi said.
The GPM program is a cheap market operation that provides various staple foods at affordable prices, he explained. It is aimed at maintaining food price affordability, improving people's purchasing power, and controlling regional inflation.
"People can get staple foods at affordable prices or below the market prices. What is certain is we ensure the quality of the products sold there," he said.
Foods that are usually sold under the program are rice, cooking oil, chili, chicken meat, eggs, shallots, garlic, ruminant meat, and flour.
For late March and throughout April, the GPM has been scheduled at several locations. The GPM is being held in NTB province and several districts such as Rejang Lebong, Jepara, Purworejo, Central Lampung, Magelang, and Kudus from March 26–31, 2023.
In April, it will be held in several provinces such as NTT, North Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, and South Papua, and several districts such as Bulungan, Jepara, Sangihe Islands, Temanggung, Aceh Tamiang, Blora, Merauke, and Boven Digoel.
Adi further said that the GPM was also been carried out before Ramadan, namely from March 1 to 17 in 18 provinces and 57 districts and cities.
"In principle, we are facilitating and preparing the GPM program to be carried out throughout the year considering its role as an instrument for controlling prices and food inflation," he said.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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