TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko `Jokowi` Widodo denied that the prices of staple goods were rising and sarcastically attacked the individuals using this issue as a political weapon against him.
The president maintained that the government managed to keep inflation within 3.5 percent which was previously known to be at 9 percent.
“This means that prices are under control. You really think I never visit the market?” said Jokowi on Tuesday, October 30, at the Indonesian Republic Catholic Women’s XX Congress at Grand Mercure Hotel in Kemayoran.
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He recounted his experience in paying multiple visits to markets and directly engaging the traders upon accommodating their complaints. He asserted that the government would provide a solution to a solvable matter.
“It depends on supply and demand. If the supply is plentiful, prices would certainly go down. The important thing is to maintain the inflation figures,” said President Jokowi.
Jokowi continued to remind the audience to not easily be carried-away by politicized economic issues that have and may arise again in the future.
AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI
