Deputy General Chairman MULTI-FUNCTION Anwar Abbas criticized the government’s move to revoke the highest retail price (THE) cooking oil packaging. The reason is, if you follow the market, the price of the commodity will certainly be more expensive in the market.
If the price of cooking oil is more expensive, he continued, it will be more difficult for small people to access it.
“In the near term or in the next few weeks or months, the price of cooking oil is certainly expected to soar high because the amount of supply will certainly be lower than the amount of demand. This will obviously really hit the lives of the little people,” Anwar said. CNNIndonesia.comWednesday (16/3).
Seeing this, Anwar stated that the nationalism of Indonesian businessmen at this time would be truly tested. Will they become economic beasts (economic animal) or will become a pancasilais entrepreneur.
“We’ll see and wait. Maybe they’re the ones who have become the real terrorist in this country. But we hope that this is not the case,” he said.
Anwar also mentioned palm oil entrepreneurs in Indonesia who had experienced problems in foreign markets. At that time, the government quickly stepped in to help so that their exports to foreign countries could run smoothly.
On the other hand, Anwar questioned the palm oil entrepreneurs when people had difficulty buying cooking oil. He assessed that they did not want to help the government maintain the price and availability of goods in markets throughout the country.
“In fact they seem busy making profits by taking advantage of opportunities to get bigger profits by ignoring and violating existing regulations,” he said.
“As a result, the people became difficult, so the national police chief was forced to step in and speak loudly to the businessmen by asking the regional police chiefs to carry out strict supervision,” he added.
Previously, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto announced that the price of packaged cooking oil would adjust to the economic value. That is, the price will follow the market and no longer adjust to the highest retail price (HET).
“Regarding the price of other packaging, it will adjust the economic value so that it is hoped that palm oil will be available in modern and traditional markets,” said Airlangga, Tuesday (15/3).
Now, the impact of the policy is starting to happen. Some reports said that one supermarket in the Setiabudi area, Jakarta, sold two liter premium packaged cooking oil for Rp. 43,900 to Rp. 44 thousand.
In fact, the Executive Director of the Indonesian Vegetable Oil Industry Association (GIMNI) Sahat Sinaga assessed that the abolition of the HET for packaged cooking oil made the price touch the level of Rp. 25 thousand per liter.
In more detail, he predicts the price of premium packaged oil can touch the level of Rp. 24,800 to Rp. 25 thousand per liter. Meanwhile, for simple packaging, it is Rp. 22,900 to Rp. 23 thousand per liter.
For the record, previously the HET for simple packaged cooking oil was Rp. 13,500 per liter. As for the premium packaging, Rp. 14 thousand per liter.
(rzr/sfr)
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