Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan has said prices of basic necessities in a number of traditional markets in Surabaya, East Java Province, are stable.

“Today we are grateful that prices have dropped a lot. First, the ones that cause the highest inflation are chillies and onions,” Minister Hasan said  after conducting inspections at Wonokromo and Keputran markets, here on Sunday.

The staple food needs whose prices are stable include chillies and onions, which previously their prices were much higher.

During an inspection in Keputran market, Minister Hasan said that the wholesale price of onions was between Rp25,000 to Rp28,000 per kilogram.

“So traders sell them for under  Rp40,000, or Rp35,000 to retailers,” he said.

The price of red chillies in the city was also stable, both cayenne pepper and large red chillies, with an average market price of Rp55,000 per kilogram.

“When I first became a minister, the price of chillies was Rp120,000. However, yesterday the average price of chillies reached Rp55,000, both cayenne pepper, curly chili, green chili, and large red chili. That means that retailers can sell it at a price of Rp65,000 to Rp70,000,” he added,

Meanwhile, the price of meat has also fallen. Previously the price of meat was Rp130,000 to Rp135,000. But, today the price  drops to Rp120,000 per kilogram, he said .

“I checked that the price of meat is Rp120,000 (per kilogram). Yesterday, I even found out in Kupang that the price of beef was Rp110,000. It’s cheaper. Here (at Wonokromo market) the price is Rp120,000. Last week the price was still Rp130,000. That means the price has also gone down. Meanwhile, the prices of other staples such as rice and sugar are stable,” he said.

Furthermore, the minister said that the availability and price of cooking oil in Surabaya is also stable. He said the average Highest Retail Price (HET) for packaged cooking oil is Rp14,000.

Minister Hasan reiterated that the prices of basic necessities have started to stabilize. In the previous month, Indonesia experienced high inflation. Hence, with stable prices of basic commodities, the minister hopes that inflation can be controlled soon.

“Stock availability is guaranteed. If the stock is low, the price will be  high. If prices tend to fall, it means that there are more stocks,” he said.

Source: Antara News