Prices of 12 commodities skyrocket: Government

The prices of 12 staple commodities have increased by between 0.82 percent and 314.23 percent over the past year, data revealed at a meeting on Thursday between the coordinating economic minister and coordinating public welfare minister shows.

The price of bird’s eye chilies rocketed 314 percent from January last year to more than Rp 63,400 per kilogram this month, while the price of tempeh increased 0.82 percent to Rp 8,500 per kg, according to the meeting on Thursday evening.

Red chili now costs Rp 44,700 per kg — a 90 percent increase in price, and shallots were Rp 25,000 per kg (up 99.53 percent).

The price of the cheapest rice has increased 22.6 percent to Rp 7,500 per kg, cooking oil 14.71 percent to Rp 11,700 per liter, bulk cooking oil 6.8 percent to Rp 11,500 per liter, and tofu 2.8 percent to Rp 7,500 per kg.

The price of beef increased by 5.87 percent to Rp 64,700 per kg and chicken 15.79 percent to Rp 24.000 per kg.

The prices of three commodities, sugar, flour and soybeans, decreased by 2.27 percent, 0.63 percent and 2.62 percent, to Rp 10,400 per kg, Rp 7,600 per kg Rp 8,500 per kg.

The government will accelerate the disbursement of social protection funds to curb impacts of price hikes if necessary, Coordinating Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono said as quoted kompas.com. The funds for the first three months of the year could be disbursed at once instead of monthly, he said.

(Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/01/21/prices-12-commodities-skyrocket-government.html)