Prices rise when stocks fall short. But in the past three months, they have been stable."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel inspected Kramatjati Wholesale Market in East Jakarta on Friday to check developments in the prices of basic necessities ahead of the Eid Fitr or Lebaran festivities next week.
"The average price of essential commodities is still stable," the minister said while inspecting the market in the early hours of Friday.
Gobel added that he had urged traders to help maintain stability and to avoid capitalizing on the occasion of the fasting month and Lebaran to set exorbitant prices that could disturb the economy.
"I appealed to traders to avoid increasing the prices to high rates because it would boost the inflation rate," the minister stated.
He also held a dialog with traders of Kramatjati Wholesale Market on price stability, goods stocks and their plan to visit their hometowns to celebrate Eid.
Furthermore, Anas Sarnil, a trader who sells garlic, told the minister that in the past three months, garlic stock in the market had remained stable.
"Prices rise when stocks fall short. But in the past three months, they have been stable," he affirmed.
Data from the Directorate General of Internal Trade of the Ministry of Trade showed that stocks of chili at Kramat Jati Wholesale Market declined 5.88 percent to 80 tons per day from 85 tons per day the previous week.
The normal daily stock is 150 to 200 tons per day. The decline led to a slight increase in the price of chili.
In addition, the price of curly red chili rose 12 percent from Rp25,000 per kilogram to Rp28,000 per kilogram. The price of red jumbo chili rose 9.09 percent from Rp22,000 per kilogram to Rp24,000 per kilogram.
However, the costs of shallots and garlic were stable at Rp16,000 and Rp18,000 per kilogram, respectively.
On the national level, the prices witnessed a downward trend as compared to those the previous week. This was reflected in the price of sugar, which dropped 0.88 percent from Rp13,125 per kilogram to Rp13,010 per kilogram; bulk cooking oil, which went from Rp11,260 per liter to Rp11,220 per liter; and wheat, which reduced from Rp8,940 to Rp8,920 per kilogram.
Moreover, the prices of other commodities, such as rice, imported soybean, beef, chicken meat, curly red chili, jumbo red chili and cayenne pepper, saw a hike in the range of between 0.05 and 12.09 percent.(Uu.A014/INE/KR-BSR)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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