Government Urged to Stablize Rice Prices

Jakarta (Antara) - Confederation of Indonesia Prosperity Trade Union (KSBSI) Chairman Mudhofir has urged the government to stabilize the fluctuating rice prices in the country. \"The government should stabilize the rice prices as soon as possible to ease the burden of the poor community in various regions across the country,\" Mudhofir stated here on Tuesday. He also criticized the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) for having failed to optimally play its role of maintaining price stability in the present times. The KSBSI chairman noted that regardless of the situation, Bulog should be prepared for any eventuality in an effort to keep the rice prices stable. Besides this, Bulog should have cooperated well with the relevant authorities in cracking down on speculators with vested interests and importers of rice. According to agriculture observer Khudori, the fluctuating prices of rice were caused by speculators. According to him, speculators fear that the government might release its rice stocks and bring down the rice prices in the market. Speculators who have so far withheld their stocks will only be able to make a small profit if they do not release their rice stocks immediately because Bulog will then distribute its stocks. \"At the Cipinang wholesale rice market in Jakarta, the price of rice dropped by Rp500 per kilogram. This means that the speculators have released their stocks,\" he explained. President Jokowi earlier inspected Bulog\'s rice warehouses at Kelapang Gading in North Jakarta where he launched the rice for the poor (Raskin) program and some market operations. The country has 1.4 million tons of rice stocks, which will be adequate until March-April when the harvest season starts, the president revealed on the occasion. \"You should not think that we are short of rice stocks. We will always have sufficient stocks, and we will release it no matter how much will be the requirement,\" he remarked. (*)