JAKARTA – Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian attended the launching of Simultaneous National Cheap Food Movement held in a hybrid manner from Borobudur Hotel, Jakarta, Monday (26/6).
Held by the National Food Agency (NFA), the event also invited representatives of ministries/agencies, including the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Ministry of State Owned Enterprises, Bank Indonesia, as well as regional heads who attend online.
On that occasion, Tito appreciated the synergy of inflation control across ministries/agencies which is carried out every Monday at the Ministry of Home Affairs office.
He said that President Joko Widodo summoned his party to control regional inflation last September.
He explained that controlling inflation requires cooperation between the central and regional governments, and the president asked for inflation control to be carried out as in controlling Covid-19.
Therefore, his party then held discussions with various parties across ministries/agencies to start the control.
“When we were facing the pandemic Covid-19, I strictly followed what he instructed from the beginning. We did meetings three times a week,” he said.
“On Saturdays, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Mr. Airlangga was in charge of Java-Bali while Mr. Luhut was in charge of Java-Bali on Sundays.
“On Mondays, it was the President himself–he was very consistent. And now he wants the control of inflation to be done in the same way.”
Tito explained that there are two contributors to inflation. First, administered prices–or government regulated prices–such as fuel oil, transportation, and drinking water.
Second, the volatile items with prices that always change every time, such as food products, drinks, and tobaccos.
In managing these two matters, the importance of cooperation and cohesiveness between agencies regarding food is a basic need of the people.
“Our people, especially the middle low and low, who are less fortunate, grass roots, they don’t want to say anything strange, let alone talk about politics and other things,” Tito said.
“They talk about stomach, what they can eat, that’s the most important. The various fluctuations in Indonesia’s security stability, our security politics will be very vulnerable if we talk about staple food issues,” he continued.
Furthermore, he explained the nine steps to control inflation that need to be implemented by regional governments.
This includes planting plants, cheap market operations, inter-regional cooperation, and transportation subsidies.
“We ask all instruments in the regions to work. We hold meetings every Monday, displaying data–including ones about which areas are working and which areas are not, which areas are intervening and which are ignorant. We will also read out the areas with the highest inflation and the lowest,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan expressed his gratitude to NFA for carrying out the cheap food movement.
According to him, this activity can shorten the food distribution chain, so that people can get the best price.
At the same time, his party also supports and appreciates various efforts to control inflation.
“I also thank the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Tito, who works politely, from a sincere heart. Because, frankly, we get so much help from him. Mr. Tito is the Minister of Home Affairs, the former National Police Chief, but takes care of inflation very well. He also holds meetings every Monday,” he explained.
