Market Price Survey Visit at Bauntung Market and High-Level Meeting of the TPID

Banjarbaru – Statistic of South Kalimantan Province, represented by Senior Statistician and Coordinator of Distribution Statistics, Fachri Ubadiyah, attended a surprise inspection (sidak) of the Price Survey of Basic Necessities at Bauntung Market in Banjarbaru and the High-Level Meeting (HLM) of the Regional Inflation Control Team (TPID) on Thursday, March 31, 2022.

The sidak began around 09:00 WITA after the Governor of South Kalimantan Province, H. Sahbirin Noor, entered the Bauntung Market area. Following the inspection, he stated that the selling prices of basic necessities were within normal limits in anticipation of the upcoming religious holidays, such as Ramadan and Idul Fitri.

The subsequent event was the HLM, led by the Secretary of South Kalimantan Province, Roy Rizali Anwar. The meeting featured two speakers: the Head of the Trade Office of South Kalimantan, Bierhasani, and the Head of the Bank Indonesia (BI) branch in South Kalimantan, Imam Subarkah. Bierhasani noted that although the availability of basic necessities was generally sufficient, external factors such as the scarcity of diesel (which could disrupt distribution routes) and the relatively low rice stock required monitoring.

Meanwhile, Imam Subarkah predicted inflation or price increases, as historically observed, in the lead-up to Ramadan and Idul Fitri. He also reported positive economic growth in South Kalimantan Province in the fourth quarter, which was encouraging, although it was necessary to consider the geopolitical impacts on the availability of staple goods such as flour, gas, or petroleum due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Fachri Ubadiyah, who also attended the HLM, noted that cooking oil prices had temporarily decreased in February 2022, contributing to deflation. However, the availability of cooking oil in the market remained limited. Regarding rice production, BPS estimated a harvest period around March-April 2022, which could increase rice stocks in the market.

At the end of the event, Roy Rizali Anwar conveyed the appreciation of H. Sahbirin Noor to all TPID members for their hard work in controlling inflation rates in the community.