Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Police’s Food Task Force has said that it has yet to detect any cartels involving producers and distributors fixing the price of cooking oil.
Cooking oil has become scarce in several provinces due to producers adjusting their business pattern to the government’s policy of stabilizing the price of cooking oil, chief of the National Police’s Food Task Force, Inspector General Helmy Santika, said in Jakarta on Friday.
“So far, we have not found cartel practice. If anyone has information about cartel practice, price game, and hoarding involving producers, distributors, and certain irresponsible persons, please inform the National Police’s Food Task Force of the practice soon in order to (allow us to) follow up on it,” he said.
He said the food task force has conducted operations to supervise the distribution of cooking oil in all parts of the country, including Makassar, Medan, Lampung, East Nusa Tenggara, Lebak, and Serang.
During the operations, the task force found a trader holding cooking oil stocks bought at a higher price than the government-set retail price ceiling, he informed.
“With regard to the finding, the National Police urged (the trader) to distribute it (the oil) soon, in accordance with the market mechanism,” he said.
On its part, the government will pay the difference between the purchase and retail price ceiling to the trader, he added.
He then called on all cooking oil producers and distributors to distribute cooking oil without delay and warned them against holding or hoarding cooking oil stocks and reducing the distribution of cooking oil.
He said the task force is prioritizing communication, coordination, and collaboration with the relevant ministries and non-ministerial government institutions in anticipating a cooking oil price hike and ensuring stocks.
In addition, the National Police, along with the Agriculture Ministry, the Trade Ministry, and the National Food Agency is also monitoring and identifying problems related to cooking oil, he added.
“The most important thing is to ensure the availability of foodstuffs. One of the most effective ways to maintain the prices of basic necessities is ensuring stocks and keeping the balance between supply and demand,” he said.
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