Government To Guarantee Food Price Stability

Jakarta, June 12 (Antara) - The government will guarantee the stability of food prices ahead of and during the fasting month of Ramadan, Economic Minister Hatta Rajsa said. "Data from Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) shows that the prices and supply of seven strategic food commodities remain stable and even some of them are down," he noted here on Wednesday. Speaking after a coordination meeting between the government and Kadin at his office on Wednesday, Hatta said the seven strategic food commodities with stable prices and supply were cooking oil, beef and chicken, horticulture products, sugar, flour, fish and shrimp, and rice. He said from the coordination meeting it was concluded that the prices and supply of strategic food commodities could be made stable by the government together with the business world. "Although the increase in prices of some food commodities such as chili and jengkol (pithecolobium jiringa), the government will guarantee the stability and supply of other basic and strategic commodities," Hatta said. He added that with the sufficient supply and stable prices, the government and the business world could maintain the inflation rate. "The government and Kadin will continue to make coordination and consultation to maintain the prices and supply of those basic necessities," he said, adding that the state logistics agency, Bulog, would also make intervention to anticipate the fluctuation and speculation of basic necessities prices.