"From the monitoring results, the price of basic necessities in Maluku, Papua, and all provinces in eastern Indonesia tend to be higher than in other regions," he remarked when met after the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Coordination Meeting with stakeholders in Jakarta on Friday.
"We do not want to treat this situation as normal, and we must find solutions to this problem," he stressed.
According to data presented at the coordination meeting, the price of red chilies in eastern Indonesia ranges from Rp76,923 (US$4.46) to Rp100,625 (US$5.87) per kilogram, significantly above the Purchase Reference Price (HAP) of Rp37 thousand (US$2.17) to Rp55 thousand (US$3.23) per kg.
Furthermore, the price of red cayenne pepper in Central Papua is between Rp87,682 (US$5.11) and Rp118,214 (US$6.93) per kg, far exceeding the HAP of Rp40 thousand (US$2.35) to Rp57 thousand (US$3.35) per kg.
Meanwhile, the highest price for shallots in eastern Indonesia is in South Papua Province, at Rp64,375 (US$3.76) per kg, which is above the set HAP of Rp36,500 (US$2.11) to Rp41,500 (US$2.44) per kg.
Priyono then emphasized the importance of joint collaboration to reduce the prices of these food commodities, following President Prabowo Subianto's mandate.
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"Controlling prices, especially those of basic necessities, is one of the president's national priorities. Therefore, KSP always monitors strategic food prices every day, and we report it every week at the Regional Inflation Control Coordination Meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs," he explained.
He also suggested a short-term solution to this problem by establishing strategic partnerships among eastern Indonesia's government, producers, distributors, and business actors.
"That way, we hope the supply will be smoother, and there will also be assistance or subsidies for transportation from various parties, as the logistics costs are high," he stated.
He underscored the need for cooperation from all related parties to control and lower prices for the public in eastern Indonesia.
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Translator: Arnidhya Nur Z, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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