(malangkota.go.id) – Right on the commemoration of World Food Day, Monday (16/10/2023), the National Food Agency (Bapanas)/National Food Agency (NFA) held a National Simultaneous Cheap Food Movement (GPM) at 421 points in 262 districts/cities and 38 provinces.
Head of Bapanas Arief Prasetyo Adi, ST, MT said that the implementation of periodic GPM was a directive from the President of the Republic of Indonesia so that the community can get food at a lower price than the market. "The National Simultaneous GPM this time has a total of 421 points. This means that the team of the Minister of Home Affairs has all worked hard in each region. Indeed, President Joko Widodo ordered to continue to carry out GPM massively and continuously," he said at the Bapanas Office, Jakarta.
Arief said the National Simultaneous GPM held until October 2023 uses the central budget and NFA deconcentration funds allocated to all provinces. He hopes the budget can be utilized optimally.
"We hope that all heads of departments that handle food affairs can optimize the use of the deconcentration budget to support activities to stabilize food supplies and prices and control inflation in their regions, considering that we are now entering the end of the year," he continued.
Arif, who also serves as Acting Minister of Agriculture, said that the government has taken various intervention steps in an effort to Stabilize Food Supply and Prices (SPHP), especially for food commodities that are starting to fluctuate. He explained that to stabilize rice prices, the government is distributing 640 thousand tons of rice food aid to 21,3 million Beneficiary Families (KPM) within a period of three months, namely October-November. SPHP rice is distributed throughout Indonesia through retail markets, traditional markets, and the Cipinang Rice Main Market (PIBC).
In this hybrid event, Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian said that his party strongly supports the National Simultaneous GPM. "There are dynamics of price increases for several food commodities in the regions, so government efforts are needed to stabilize food prices through the Cheap Food Movement," he explained.
Local governments are also encouraged to continue to consistently implement cheap markets without having to wait for intervention from the central government. Minister Tito emphasized that the budget owned by local governments must be used more to control food prices.
"Earlier this year, the President gathered all of us, which in essence was to maintain the stability of food prices. Inflation and maintaining the stability of food prices are one of the variable criteria for evaluation to determine whether or not to extend the term of regional heads," he said.
For Malang City itself, GPM activities are carried out at Merjosari Field, Lowokwaru District. Various commodities are sold at more affordable prices, such as rice, garlic, chili, granulated sugar, chicken eggs, and oil. (ari/yon)
