Jakarta (ANTARA) – In a decisive move to tackle inflation, Indonesia’s Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian has announced plans to replace regional leaders who are unable to control the inflation rate effectively. This statement was made at a coordination meeting of the Home Affairs Ministry in Jakarta on Monday, following the directives issued by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace on October 30.
According to Antara News Agency, the President had underscored the possibility of replacing underperforming leaders with caretakers at any time. The Minister revealed that he had already removed several regional leaders due to their failure to manage inflation rates and emphasized his commitment to continue this approach.
Karnavian urged leaders across all regions of Indonesia to address issues related to the inflation rate seriously. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) disclosed that rice was the primary contributor to the national inflation rate, which stood at 2.56 percent year-on-year in October 2023. The inflation rate for the month was reflected in the increase in the consumer price index (CPI), which rose from 112.75 in October 2022 to 115.64 in the same month in 2023.
Moreover, BPS data showed that as many as 54 cities across the nation recorded a CPI score higher than the national inflation rate. Tanjung Pandan City in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province recorded the highest inflation rate at 5.43 percent, with significant contributions from air transport tariffs, fresh fish, rice, filtered clove cigarettes, and purebred chicken meat.
Other cities and districts with notable inflation rates include Sumenep (5.29 percent), Merauke (4.89 percent), Luwuk (4.25 percent), Kotabaru (4.12 percent), and Maumere (4.07 percent). In contrast, Jayapura City in Papua Province reported the lowest inflation rate at only 1.43 percent.