KPPU to Question Suswono about Garlic Cartel
20 April 2013 07:19 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) is summoning Agriculture Minister Suswono on Monday, April 22. KPPU will question the minister over allegations of garlic cartel practices.
Ahmad Junaidi, KPPU's justice and human relations bureau director, said the minister will be asked to specify the garlic imports policy, including its supply and demand mechanisms, and explain more about the domestic demand. "We've sent the letter on Wednesday" Junaidi told Tempo Friday, April 19.
He said that KPPU will focus on investigating the structure of the domestic garlic market to unveil any possibility of cartel practices.
Suspicions over cartel practices in the import of garlic arose some two months ago when garlic prices soared to more than Rp56,000 per kilogram. Around the same time, KPPU discovered hundreds of containers of garlic being held at the Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya.
ROSALINA