Ministry Organizes 'Ramadhan' Bazaars

Jakarta, July 5 (Antara) - The Trade Ministry will organize bazaars from July 5 to August 2 to provide cheap necessities in facing the Ramadhan fasting month and the post-fasting Idul Fitri festivities, a senior official of the ministry said. "In cooperation with associations and producers of basic necessities, we will organize bazaars at the ministry`s parking areas to provide various basic needs (food and clothes) with cheap prices. We hope that the bazaars will meet the basic needs of low-income people in the face of the fating month," Trade Ministry Secretary General Gunaryo said when opening the bazaars here on Friday. He said that the goods to be sold at the bazaars included food products such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, wheat, beef, chicken and eggs. Besides, the bazaars will also sell horticultural products such as vegetables, process foods and other household needs such as shirts, footwear, batik dresses and special regional food products. Home Trade Director General Srie Agustina said meanwhile that the bazaars also offered several basic necessity packages such as 300 kg rice package, 2,500 liter cooking oil package, 500 kg sugar package, 300 chicken package, 250 kg egg package, 360 kg wheat package and horticultural products in 50 packages. "Clothes and process food products will be sold at a price of 50-70 percent of the regular price," she said. This year, the trade ministry provides 40 stands, 15 tents and 10 carts for the sale of cheap goods in the bazaar around the ministry`s parking areas. Participants of the bazaar included the Indonesian Food and Cooking Oil Industry Association (AIMMI), the Indonesian Vegetable Oil Industry Association (GIMNI), The Association of the Indonesian Poultry Breeding (GPPU), the Indonesian Fowls Marking Information Center (Pinsar), the Indonesian Sugar Traders Association (PPGI), the Indonesian Animal Protein Business Association (APPHI), the state logistics board Bulog, the Association of the Indonesian Retailers (Aprindo) and the Indonesian Fishery Product Marketing and Processing Business Association(AP5I). Besides, the Indonesian National Processed-Meat Producers Association(Nampa), the All Indonesian Beverage and Food Business Association (GAPMMI), the Pasar Induk Kramat Jati wholesale market, PT. Sarinah (Persero) and the Trade Ministry`s food and culinary small and medium scale businesses will also take part in the bazaars. Srie said that the bazaars would be held not only at the ministry`s parking areas in Jakarta but also in other places across the country. They will be held for 3 to 5 times in different regions beginning on July 4 to August 3, 2013. "In so doing, we hope that all segments of the people will be able to have access to basic necessities with prices within their financial reach so that they will perform the fasting rituals smoothly in the fasting month," she said. The director general also extended her appreciation to all sides that supported the implementation of the bazaars throughout the country. She said that the cooperation between the private sector and the government to organize the bazaar could alleviate the burden of the people who needed basic necessities. In the meantime, based on field checks, the prices of several food products on Friday in the bazaar were recorded at Rp70,000-Rp57,000 per kg for frozen beef, Rp25,000 for one chicken, Rp9,000 per kg for sugar, Rp18,000 per kg for eggs, Rp9,000-Rp9,500 per liter for cooking oil, Rp45,500 per five kg for ramos rice, Rp39,500 per five kg of equivalent ramos rice and Rp36,000 per five kg of medium rice. The Ministry of Trade said it had distributed 400 bazaar coupons to four villages in its surroundings. It will still increase the number of coupons and expand the coverage areas of its coupon recipients. The fasting month is expected to begin on July 10, 2013 this year.