Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked his ranks to ensure the availability and affordability of food commodities ahead of the high consumption momentum during Eid al-Adha in July 2022.
"Please ensure the availability and affordability of food commodities," Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan delivered Jokowi's directive at the plenary cabinet session at the State Palace on Monday.
Hasan acknowledged that the president had urged him to immediately lower the price of bulk cooking oil in all provinces to Rp14 thousand per liter according to the price set by the government.
He targeted that within a month, the price of bulk cooking oil could decline to Rp14 thousand per liter in all regions.
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"We hope that the bulk cooking oil price will decline to Rp14 thousand followed by price adjustment in cooking oil with simple packaging," he stated.
Before the plenary cabinet session, Hasan spoke of having found a solution to the cooking oil issue.
He will ensure that the supply of bulk cooking oil is maintained in three distribution channels covering 10 thousand points. He believes that this solution can solve the problem of bulk cooking oil distribution lines.
"With regard to this bulk cooking oil problem, I already found the main problem. There are three distribution channels with 10 thousand points. I have ordered related parties to ensure that all the points work optimally, so people can buy bulk cooking oil at a price of Rp14 thousand," Hasan stated.
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The second step is to develop simple packaging for bulk cooking oil in order to facilitate the distribution process, especially in reaching remote areas of Indonesia.
"For example, we will simplify cooking oil packaging with an easier distribution route to reach remote areas in Indonesia," he added.
Earlier, President Jokowi had urged his staff to ensure that the price of bulk cooking oil in all provinces would follow the government's regulation of Rp14 thousand per liter. He had inspected markets in West Java and Banten and found that the regulation had been followed.
"I was happy regarding my visits to West Java and Banten. I found that they had followed the price regulation. I hoped all provinces applied the same bulk cooking oil price," he stated.
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