THE STILL high prices of some of the people’s basic necessities must be a concern for the government. This includes food that is supported by imported supplies.
“Apart from the price being still high, getting it is also not easy. This is because you have to compete with other countries who also import,” said Chairman of the DPR RI Banggar (Budget Body) Said Abdullah when contacted on Sunday (17/3).
The price of rice on the international market is still high, although there is a downward trend compared to last February, from US$19 to US$17.8 per quintal. However, this price on average is also higher compared to 2022 and 2023.
Likewise with sugar. The price of sugar on the international market is still US$22 per pound. This is higher on average than last year which was in the range of US$18-22 per pound.
Several other food ingredients such as corn, soybeans, wheat and meat on the international market show a downward trend. “This is the government’s opportunity to secure domestic supplies,” said Said.
As is known, every time Ramadan and Idul Fitri are celebrated, demand for people’s staple foods will increase. “I think the government is also aware of the trend of high demand at moments like this,” said Said.
Also read: Observer: Ramadan Boosts Purchasing Power Even though Food Prices Are High
There is no other way for the government to ensure the availability of safe food. If in the short term the availability cannot be met domestically, of course there is no choice but to import.
However, the import scheme must also be changed from a quota scheme to a tariff to prevent import activities from turning into rent-seeking. Apart from that, the government must hold large-scale market operations. Because with every increase in people’s food prices, there is sensitivity to people’s purchasing power.
“If people’s purchasing power falls, on a large scale it will affect economic growth. You see, more than 50% of the national economy is supported by household consumption,” said Said.
Also read: Ahead of Ramadan, the Acting Governor of Central Java asks regional heads to ensure food availability
For poor and very poor households, the government needs to ensure that all social assistance programs are affordable for them. This is because the increase in prices of basic necessities will make their economic conditions even more difficult. We hope that the social assistance program will reduce the economic pressure they face.
In the long term, Said asked that staple food matters not just become a slogan. The government has established various institutions and bodies that deal with food, but our compliance with the road map to achieve food independence is not taken seriously.
“It’s even sadder that the food issue has become an election political commodity. In the future, things like this must not happen again. The Indonesian nation cannot move forward if the food issue is still not resolved,” said Said. (Z-2)
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