IN ADDITION to rice and sugar, oil is one of the basic necessities that is not only needed in households, but also for other food industries, both small, medium, and large. In recent times, the highest retail price (HET) of Minyakita is certain to increase by Rp1,700.
Thus, Minyakita’s HET, which has been at Rp14,000 for two years, has increased to Rp15,700. Official regulations related to the latest Minyakita HET will be issued through the Minister of Trade Regulation (Permendag).
Amidst the news of the increase in Minyakita’s HET, it turns out that this has not had much of an impact on traders in one of the traditional markets in Cengkareng, West Jakarta. Traders have long been selling Minyakita above the set HET. One of the staple food traders in the traditional market, Sri (not her real name) stated that she had sold Minyakita above the HET set by the government.
“We have been selling it at a price of Rp. 16,000 since yesterday,” he said when met on Sunday (21/7).
Although Minyakita’s HET has increased, the woman who has been trading basic necessities in the traditional market for 7 years said that she has not experienced a decline in sales from Minyakita. “There is no decline in sales,” she said.
On the other hand, Desi, a housewife who lives in a densely populated housing complex in the Cengkareng area, West Jakarta, said that she usually buys Minyakita at a price of Rp17,000. Desi also said that she usually buys Minyakita at a grocery store not far from where she lives. “The price is Rp17,000, I bought it at a shop near here,” she added.
Also read: Market Traders Already Selling Minyakita Above HET Before HET Increases, Residents Object
Desi, also just found out that Minyakita’s HET has increased, therefore, she admitted that she actually objects to the price of Minyakita that she usually buys. “Objection to the price,” said Desi.
In a different place, Yono (not his real name), a middle-aged man who owns a grocery store in the same neighborhood as Desi, confirmed that he was selling Minyakita for Rp17,000. “Yes (that’s right). I sell (Minyakita) for Rp17,000,” said Yono while serving another customer who happened to be buying cigarettes.
Usually, Yono and his wife get their supply of Minyakita from their regular customers at the Cengkareng People’s Market. Seen from a distance, the stock of Minyakita owned by the grocery store is quite a lot, there are at least 8 packages of Minyakita sold on the shelves. “Buy from people (get it). Usually at the Cengkareng market,” he explained.
Also read: Puan Maharani Warns of Impact of Increase in Price of Subsidized Cooking Oil and Its Scarcity
Meanwhile, Titin, who lives not far from Desi’s house and also works as a housewife, explained that she does not use Minyakita for her household needs for certain reasons.
“Because Minyakita is rich in kilos of bulk oil, the rich are in the stalls first,” said the mother of 4 children.
Titin explained that for daily needs at home, she prefers cooking oil with other brands that are considered to have better quality when compared to Minyakita. “Usually (use) Tropical or Bimoli, the price is Rp38 thousand for 2 liters,” she said.
Also read: New HET Considered to Have Potential to Smooth Distribution of MinyaKita
In line with Titin, Kiki, who works as a hospital nurse in East Jakarta and has a side job selling basic necessities, also did not choose Minyakita as the oil she sells.
“This (Minyakita) is not good. Because this is actually bulk but it is made into a brand, usually people who want to sell it buy it,” he said when contacted.
Kiki also said that currently she has never found any more bulk cooking oil that is usually sold in grocery stores and packaged in plastic bags by the kilo.
“Previously, there were people who used plastic by the kilo. Now they have made it branded. The Oilita or Rizki brand, Rizki is better, the price is around IDR 2,000 different from Oilita,” he said.
Responding to the increase in Minyakita’s HET to IDR 15,700, Agricultural Observer, Syaiful Bahri said that this would affect food prices whose main raw material uses cooking oil.
“It is certain that the cost of staple foods will also be pushed up and certainly this will add to the burden of food inflation,” Syaiful explained when contacted on Sunday (21/7). (N-2)
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