February 18, 2026 | 08:56 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Trade Minister Budi Santoso has stated that the prices of at least three food commodities have increased ahead of Ramadan. "If we look at it, the national average prices are good. There are indeed some above the highest retail prices (HET)," said Budi Santoso at the Ministry of Trade complex on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The food items that exceeded the reference selling prices mentioned by Budi Santoso are Minyakita cooking oil, chicken eggs, and red chili peppers.
Budi Santoso mentioned that the national average price of Minyakita cooking oil reached Rp16,020 per liter, exceeding the set HET of Rp15,700 per liter. This price is the latest price collected by the Ministry of Trade as of February 13, 2026.
Tempo's observation on the Market and Basic Necessities Monitoring System (SP2KP) managed by the Ministry of Trade, although it exceeds the HET, Minyakita's price as of February 13, 2026, is the lowest it has been since January 19, 2026: Rp16,883 per liter.
The Trade Minister hopes that the price of Minyakita will gradually decrease due to new regulations requiring oil producers to supply at least 35 percent of their production for the affordable oil program.
Another commodity that experienced a price increase is chicken eggs. Budi Santoso stated that the price of chicken eggs reached Rp30,750 per kilogram. The national price of chicken eggs exceeds the set reference selling price of Rp30,000 per kilogram, a rise since February 9, 2026.
The price of red chili peppers also rose. Ministry of Trade data recorded the national average price of red chili peppers at Rp73,609 per kilogram. The current price of red chili peppers exceeds the set purchase reference price of Rp40,000-57,000 per kilogram.
Budi Santoso stated that the Ministry of Trade has coordinated with the red chili pepper entrepreneurs' association. According to him, based on the association's information, the increase in the price of red chili peppers is mainly due to the rainy weather, which has disrupted distribution. Budi Santoso mentioned that no supply problems are causing the price increase of red chili peppers.
To maintain stable prices, Budi Santoso stated that the Ministry of Trade is asking high-end food markets to focus on distribution. He said the ministry is working with other ministries, agencies, and local governments to monitor food price fluctuations. "So that there are no price hikes. Even if they do occur, we will find out what the problem is," he said.
Read: Depok Bans Sahur on the Road for Ramadan 2026
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