"What we will do has been broken down in small teams. We will do as far as we can to stabilize the prices of basic commodities," Industry Minister Mohamad S Hidayat said said.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government and businessmen have agreed to keep the prices of basic necessaries stable after the prices of subsidized fuels are raised, a minister said.
They reached the agreement in the face of the government`s plan to increase the prices of subsidized fuels in the not so distant future, Industry Minister Mohamad S Hidayat said after a joint meeting with Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan at the Trade Ministry in Jakarta on Friday.
"The step was also taken to stabilize the prices of basic commodities ahead of the fasting month of Ramadhan," he said.
He expressed hope the agreement would run well and that the public demand for basic necessaries could be met properly.
"What we will do has been broken down in small teams. We will do as far as we can to stabilize the prices of basic commodities," he said.
Meanwhile, chief of the Indonesian Business Association (Apindo) Sofyan Wanandi said the association has committed itself to keep the prices of basic necessaries stable.
"We are committed to maintaining the price stability," he said.
He predicted the fuel price hike will raise the production cost of basic commodities by less than 2 percent.
"What we have to do now is how to speed up distribution so supply will meet demand in order to create price stability," he said.
The House of Representatives (DPR) passed a bill of the revised 2013 state budget into a law at a plenary session here on Monday night, approving the government`s proposal to raise the prices of subsidized fuels.
Under the revised state budget, the price of subsidized gasoline will increase to Rp6,500 from Rp4,500 a liter and the price of subsidized diesel oil will increase to Rp5,500 from Rp4,500 a liter.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
