By: Rizal Arifin *
The skyrocketing news of food prices in early 2019 seems to need to be addressed wisely. The issue cannot be taken for granted without deep analysis. Moreover, related to price increases, the public is clearly panicked because it concerns life. In the political year, all means are carried out to cause unrest. The goal is that the public is contaminated with opinions that the government is not working well.
Some time ago it had been viral in the media when Sandiaga Uno said, “now what are 50 thousand brought to the market can you get?”. This shows that the increase in food prices was heralded by a group of parties, for the group’s political interests by spreading panic in the community. It is clear that this is political intrigue that harms the stability of the nation.
Do not want to let the public in the anxiety related stakeholders immediately take control. Calm the public from panic which is deliberately made to discredit the government. The head of the Food Distribution and Food Reserve Center at the Ministry of Agriculture’s Food Security Agency, Risfaheri, said that the condition of strategic food prices and supplies nationally is stable and safe.
“Stock of rice in the Cipinang Rice Main Market currently reaches 61,613 tons. The stock is far above normal, which is 25,000-30,000 tons, “said Risfaheri. He said that currently the price of medium rice type IR 64 III touched a price of Rp 8,500 per kilogram. These prices tend to decline because only 57.39 percent of the average supply price. The price of cianjur rice also decreased by 0.36 percent to Rp. 13,650 and Saigon Bandung fell 0.4 percent to Rp. 12,000. In addition to rice, the average decline also occurred in the price of curly red chili to Rp 20,019 per kilogram or down 0.76 percent. The price is predicted to continue to decline to Rp. 18,000. “The average price of curly red chili in various districts and cities as of January 2019 is very stable,” continued Risfaheri.
Furious with the accusations that cornered the agency he led, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman spoke up. Amran shows that food inflation has dropped significantly from 2014 to 2018. In 2014 food inflation was 10.5 percent while 2018 dived sharply to 1.26 percent. “This is BPS data, the truth can be accounted for,” Amran said
One of the reasons for the decline in food inflation was the construction of infrastructure such as village roads along 191,600 kilometers and bridges with a total length of 1,140 kilometers. Amran asked, whoever the Minister of Agriculture will replace him this year, must be able to maintain the inflation rate below 2 percent. “If it goes down it can be minus. If it goes up, it’s no longer an ideal point, we put food inflation in the best position,” Amran said.
Amran Sulaiman’s explanation and Risfaheri automatically confirm that the news of rising food prices is not true. The news was made as if dramatized so as to cause public anxiety. This is a negative campaign from the opposition. They carried out massively and structurally so that the public was afflicted with fear and resentment arose towards the country which President Joko Widodo had led.
Approaching the 2019 Presidential Election title, whatever the issue will be beaten into a political tool to corner the government. Indeed politics is a place where black and white meet, sometimes there is almost no partition between halal and haram. However, it is necessary to emphasize “This is Indonesia”, where we strongly uphold the norms and morals. Politics in such a manner certainly cannot be tolerated. The public must be observant to see and digest all efforts that bring down the government’s credibility. Moreover, the track record of the opposition faction that has never stopped spreading hatred and fear and lies for its political lust. Hopefully beautiful Indonesia is always guarded from nosy hands that undermine our national identity.
* The author is an observer of political issues