TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian stated that he was asked by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to handle inflation like handling COVID-19. Jokowi wanted inflation to be a top priority amidst the current dark global situation.

"[Inflation] is to be discussed and evaluated every week so we all could stay aware, care, focus, and on top priority," said Tito during a meeting on inflation control at his office in Central Jakarta on Monday, December 5, 2022.

Tito explained that ongoing inflation must be mitigated intensively amidst the threat of a recession, which was predicted to occur next year. Various crises, such as energy and food crises, occurred due to the heated geopolitical situation between Russia and Ukraine. As a result, Indonesia was affected. Prices of goods are predicted to skyrocket.

However, Indonesia's inflation in November 2022 was recorded at 5.42 percent, a decrease from 5.71 percent in October. Tito also said that Indonesia's inflation rate was ranked second lowest after Japan.

This positive trend made him optimistic that Indonesia can maintain its position by preventing price increases at the end of this year. Tito asked regional governments to create efforts to anticipate the inflation burst in their respective regions.

Tito also appealed to the public to buy their needs sufficiently at the end of this year so that stock availability in the market is not disrupted and prices are maintained.

As previously reported, President Jokowi claimed that the government's efforts to control inflation in the country were detailed and quite successful. He believed that no other country has done as detailed a job as Indonesia in suppressing inflation.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

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