Beef Brouhaha
Given its yearly occurrence, the rising price of beef during Ramadan should have been long anticipated by the government. It's not really difficult to figure out that from the onset of the fasting month and on through Lebaran, the demand for beef is bound to increase. With unreliable sources of supply, this is sure to lead to soaring prices, a consequence of the basic law of supply and demand. What is difficult to understand is how the government has failed to see that happening when it had slowly but inevitably begun its upward trajectory as far back as August last year.
As of last week, midway through the fasting month, the price of beef stood at between Rp115,000 and Rp130,000 per kilogram. President Joko Widodo wanted the price to be lowered to Rp80,000, pointing to the Rp90,000 it cost in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. In Indonesia, he insisted, it should not differ that much.
June 28, 2016
Given its yearly occurrence, the rising price of beef during Ramadan should have been long anticipated by the government. It's not really difficult to figure out that from the onset of the fasting month and on through Lebaran, the demand for beef is bound to increase. With unreliable sources of supply, this is sure to lead to soaring prices, a consequence of the basic law of supply and demand. What is difficult to understand is how the government
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