ID :
40908
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 21:18
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/40908
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TRADE MINISTER CALLS FOR FOOD, BEVERAGE PRICE CUTS
Jakarta, Jan 15 (ANTARA) - Trade Minister Mari Pangestu has called on the business community to help preserve the people's purchasing power by lowering processed food and beverage prices now that fuel oils and electricity are costing less.
"We hope all business makers will participate in lowering the food prices in an effort to maintain the people's purchasing power," the minister said at a seminar on "Food Industry Outlook 2009 Prospects and Opportunities" in Tangerang on Thursday.
On the occasion the minister asked for the support of food and beverage producers to reduce food prices and control inflation.
"We want to see food prices lowered and it should be reflected in the inflation rate," Mari Pangestu said, predicting that food prices would be lowered starting in February.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Food and Beverage Producers Association (Gapmmi) chairman Thomas Darmawan said the impact of the fuel price cuts would start to be felt during Chinese Lunar New Year, or early February.
"I think, food prices will fall by about three to ten percent, and the price decline will probably not happen in the form of lower prices but bigger sizes or volume of the products and discounts," he said.
He said food and beverage producers were still waiting for permits from the Food and Drug Control Board (BPOM) to change the packaging of their products.
"We are still waiting for permits from BPOM to change the packaging because of tight product circulation," Thomas said.
He explained that food price cuts would depend on transportation costs, and they would not happen to products in small packages consumed with single intakes.
"The prices of products which are sold per unit will be difficult to lower because it is impossible to cut the price of certain products which are sold at Rp500 per unit," he said.
"We hope all business makers will participate in lowering the food prices in an effort to maintain the people's purchasing power," the minister said at a seminar on "Food Industry Outlook 2009 Prospects and Opportunities" in Tangerang on Thursday.
On the occasion the minister asked for the support of food and beverage producers to reduce food prices and control inflation.
"We want to see food prices lowered and it should be reflected in the inflation rate," Mari Pangestu said, predicting that food prices would be lowered starting in February.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Food and Beverage Producers Association (Gapmmi) chairman Thomas Darmawan said the impact of the fuel price cuts would start to be felt during Chinese Lunar New Year, or early February.
"I think, food prices will fall by about three to ten percent, and the price decline will probably not happen in the form of lower prices but bigger sizes or volume of the products and discounts," he said.
He said food and beverage producers were still waiting for permits from the Food and Drug Control Board (BPOM) to change the packaging of their products.
"We are still waiting for permits from BPOM to change the packaging because of tight product circulation," Thomas said.
He explained that food price cuts would depend on transportation costs, and they would not happen to products in small packages consumed with single intakes.
"The prices of products which are sold per unit will be difficult to lower because it is impossible to cut the price of certain products which are sold at Rp500 per unit," he said.
