A NUMBER of measures taken by the trade ministry to reduce the price of cooking oil show their inability to diagnose the root of the problem. Instead of reducing prices, government errors have led to a protracted crisis.

As of Saturday, February 5, the price of this commodity was still around Rp20,000 per liter. The previous week, Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi stipulated a maximum retail price in order to control the price.

At first glance