Govt to Open Affordable Food Shops Nationwide

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The government will open shops selling affordable food commodities, such as rice, sugar, onion, cooking oil and chilli to prevent surge in food prices in the market. 

“In the future, the government will open cheap shops across Indonesia, and they will open all year,” said Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman on Thursday. 

With these shops, the government will no longer need to conduct market operations during religious holidays. 

Amran said these shops resulted from the synergy of several agencies and ministries, including state logistics agency Bulog, the Agriculture Ministry, the Trade Ministry, the Transportation Ministry and the State-owned Enterprises Ministry. 

Bulog will become the operator of the shops, while the Trade Ministry monitors prices, the Transportation ministry ensures that agricultural material arrive on time and the Agriculture Ministry takes care of production. 

Commission IV chairman Edy Prabowo has supported the plans as they sought to keep food prices stable all year. 

Edy said there would be a food agency for all basic commodities. “With this agency, prices of basic commodities will not be released to the market so that the prices can be stable,” he said. 

He added that the government must also keep an eye on rice stocks, which were presently diminishing. 

ANTARA