JAKARTADAILY.ID - Approaching the month of Ramadan, a number of food commodity prices have skyrocketed. President Joko Widodo himself has ordered his staff to control food commodity prices ahead of Ramadan and Idul Fitri, in order to reduce the inflation rate.
This annual problem regarding the fluctuation of food commodity prices has become the focus of the attention of the University of Paramadina Jakarta, by holding a discussion entitled "Management of Price Control Ahead of Ramadhan."
Agricultural Economic Expert Prof. Dr. M. Jafar Hafsah said food is a basic component for realizing quality human resources and the main pillar of national development which plays a role in maintaining economic, social, and political stability.
"Food sovereignty and food self-sufficiency are the foundation for realizing food security. The outcome of food security is healthy, active, and productive communities and individuals in a sustainable manner," said Jafar, Jakarta, Thursday, March 9, 2023.
The important thing to do, according to Prof. Jafar is planning, data and mapping, coordination, ensuring the availability of infrastructure and production inputs, commodities, distribution, monitoring, supervision, and supervision of food availability in various regions.
Meanwhile, a postgraduate lecturer at Paramadina University, Dr. Handi Risza alluded to global growth which is predicted to continue to experience a downward trend. In 2023, global growth is projected to slow from 3.4 percent in 2022 to 2.9 percent in 2023.
Handi also alluded to supply chains that have not fully recovered, causing global inflation to remain high. "Global inflation is expected to fall from 8.8 percent (2022) to 6.6 percent (2023), this figure is still higher than the average inflation rate for 2017-2019, which was 3.5 percent."
Regarding the increase in food commodity prices ahead of Ramadan, Handi reminded us that it is necessary to pay close attention to commodities that dominantly contribute to inflation during the month of Ramadan, such as household fuels, cooking oil, purebred chicken meat, and several other commodities.
He also recommended policies on price control. "The policy of increasing supply in the context of price stabilization is carried out using domestic production and imports need to be carried out precisely according to actual demand. The policy is to provide subsidies, both transportation and prices."
The policy of two percent of the general transfer funds (DTU) in the APBD as an incentive for food needs through social assistance and incentives for transportation needs to be encouraged so that it can be properly realized in the regions, so that price stabilization is realized properly.
"Stakeholder coordination in the form of the work of the Regional Inflation Control Team (TPID) needs to be optimized. Steps to form a task force or sales motorist to maximize the product distribution process during Ramadan, with the main goal of maintaining supply and demand balance," he added.
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