Jakarta (VNA) – The National Food Agency (Bapanas) of Indonesia has ramped up its Cheap Food Movement (GPM) in 2,158 locations nationwide to ensure price stability and affordability during Ramadan and ahead of Eid al-Fitr.
Bapanas leader Arief Prasetyo Adi was quoted by local media as saying that from the start of 2025 through March, the agency has executed 2,158 GPM initiatives across 31 provinces and 205 districts and cities, highlighting the Indonesian government's commitment to providing affordable, quality staple foods.
The GPM programme focuses on stabilising consumer-level prices for essential commodities like rice, cooking oil, and bird's eye chilis, offering them at prices within the government's retail price ceiling.
Adi said that both core inflation and volatile food inflation remain within acceptable ranges, citing Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data showing positive trends in annual inflation for February 2025. Core inflation stood at 2.48%, and volatile food inflation at 0.56%, with monthly rice inflation at 0.26%, he noted.
Adi emphasised the favourable condition of strategic food commodity supplies and prices during Ramadan, expressing optimism for continued stability through Eid al-Fitr.
The Bapanas head reiterated the importance of regional government subsidies in the GPM to further stabilise prices leading up to Eid al-Fitr./.
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