INKOPKAR continues sugar market operations ahead of Christmas

`We conduct the market operation again to fulfill people's needs. The focus is outside Java,` Chairman of Inkopkar, Brigadier General Felix Hutabarat, said in Jakarta on Friday. According to Brigadier General Felix, previously, the market operation was carried out before Eid al-Fitr. A total of 68,358 tons of sugar was distributed during the market operation at that time. `We were appointed by the Ministry of Trade to distribute 100 thousand tons of sugar for the market operation,` said the alumnus of Akmil in 1983. Before Christmas 2015, the sugar market operation had been carried out in several provinces, such as Bangka Belitung, Riau, South Sulawesi. For the sugar market operation, Inkopkar cooperates with several sugar distributors in 21 provinces, with the target of reducing the sugar price below Rp11,000/kg at the retail level or Rp12,000 for remote areas such as Papua. `We ask territorial apparatus to supervise the price so that it does not exceed the amount that has been determined,` said the former Head of Information of Kodam I/Bukit Barisan. Separately, the sugar businessman from PT Agro Abadi, Budi Hartono, who was appointed to carry out the market operation in West Kalimantan, stated that currently the sugar stock in the province is less than half of the 6,000 tons/month. `The national sugar production has indeed decreased, so that its impact is felt all the way to the regions, including West Kalimantan,` Budi said. He estimated that within the next 10 days, the price of granulated sugar in West Kalimantan will increase by Rp1,000 to Rp1,500/kg. According to Budi, sugar from the market operation is sold at Rp10,500 to Rp11,000/kg. Whereas, the current price of sugar in Pontianak is around Rp12,000/kg. He hopes that Inkopkar will increase the amount of sugar from the market operation for West Kalimantan, which currently has a stock of only 1,000 tons and has been sold to the market. `That amount is only enough for one week. Inkopkar needs to increase the amount of sugar in the market operation for West Kalimantan so that the price can be suppressed again,` he said. A citizen of Pontianak, Fatimah, admitted that she would be happy if the sugar operation was also carried out in her city. According to her, the price of sugar in Pontianak is Rp12,000/kg. `Wow, if there was another market operation, we would be happy. If there is another one, I will definitely buy, besides being cheap, it is definitely durable and has good quality,` she said while relating that on Eid al-Fitr, sugar from the market operation was sold for Rp10,000/kg. The same thing was also said by Nurul, another citizen of Pontianak. According to her, the price of branded sugar reaches Rp14,000/kg. Whereas, the price of loose sugar is Rp12,000/kg. `The cheap one is from Malaysia. I am afraid to buy it, especially for consumption by children,` she said. She also admitted that she would be happy if the sugar market operation was also carried out in Pontianak.
Editor: Suryantohttp://www.antaranews.com/berita/533240/inkopkar-lanjutkan-operasi-pasar-gula-jelang-natal