Traders on Decreasing Cooking Oil Prices: The Government’s Deception

All Indonesia Market Traders Alliance (Appsindo) claims a decrease cooking oil price to Rp. 14 thousand per liter is just a trick of the government. This is because the stock for traditional markets is very limited.

“We see that there is a trick from the government to avoid chaos in the community. Business actors in traditional markets are given low prices but limited stock,” said General Chairperson of Appsindo Hasan in the Webinar ‘Rare Cooking Oil, What’s Up?’, Wednesday (16/2). ).

According to Hasan, the government is not serious about providing cooking oil stocks for traditional market traders. As a result, customers prefer modern retail when looking for cooking oil.

This is because the government prioritizes modern retail in distributing cooking oil for Rp. 14,000 per liter. Meanwhile, distribution of cheap cooking oil to traditional markets is much slower.

“If the alliance doesn’t protest that modern and traditional markets are discriminated against, yesterday we priced up to Rp. 21 thousand, while modern retail is far below that,” said Hasan.

On the other hand, he feels that traditional market traders are always blamed by the community when food prices soar. Some people think traders are hoarding food, so stocks are scarce and prices are rising.

“Certain parties claim that this is because the traders stock the goods, even though the source is from above, the big distributors who play with prices,” explained Hasan.

He added that the management of traditional markets is still a mess. Meanwhile, modern retail continues to expand near traditional markets, thus affecting traders’ profits.

“The people’s economy should not be pitted against the capitalist forces that have dominated the economy at the lower levels. We hope that the cooking oil case will change in the future,” Hasan concluded.

[Gambas:Video CNN]

Previously, the government had implemented a cooking oil program of Rp. 14,000 per liter. To implement the program, the government disbursed subsidies of up to Rp7.6 trillion.

Cooking oil priced at Rp. 14 thousand is sold in minimarkets and traditional markets. However, the program did not run smoothly. This is because the stock of cooking oil in minimarkets and traditional markets is empty.

The vacancy sparked protests from market traders. Secretary General of the Parent Cooperative Market (Inkoppas) Ngadiran admitted that he was not involved in determining the Highest Retail Price (HET) for cooking oil by the government.

There has been no statement from the government regarding this merchant’s complaint. However, previously the Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi answered the market cooperative’s complaint regarding the lack of involvement of traders in setting the price of cooking oil.

He said traders did not need to be involved in setting oil prices.

“This is a direct distribution. The Parent Cooperative Market does not need to interfere in this matter,” said Lutfi during a visit to Kramat Jati Market, East Jakarta, Thursday (3/2).

(aud/sfr)

–