The Prices of Basic Necessities Ahead of Ramadan 2017 Are More Controlled

In the period leading up to Ramadan, prices of staple goods tend to increase. According to data from the Ministry of Trade, the prices of staple goods in the run-up to Ramadan 2017 were more controlled than in 2016. This is evident in the average price increase in the month before Ramadan in 2017, which rose by only 2.58 percent, lower than the previous year's 3.1 percent.

In Ramadan 2016, the highest price increase among staple goods was for granulated sugar, at 11.06 percent, reaching Rp 15,670 per kilogram (kg), while in 2017 it actually decreased by 1.09 percent to Rp 13,440 per kg. Similarly, the price of broiler chicken in the lead-up to Ramadan 2016 increased by 10.89 percent to Rp 32,780 per kg, whereas in Ramadan 2017 it only increased by 5.13 percent to Rp 31,675 per kg.

However, some staple goods saw a sharp price increase in Ramadan 2017. For example, the price of shallots increased by 17.75 percent to Rp 38,727 per kg in the lead-up to Ramadan 2017, while in the lead-up to Ramadan 2016 it actually decreased by 6.77 percent to Rp 39,410 per kg. Of the 12 commodities, 9 staple food prices at the beginning of Ramadan 2017 were lower than at the beginning of Ramadan 2016.