Edible oil gets 24/7 police scrutiny in Indonesia as prices continue to soar

A woman shops for cooking oil made from oil palms at a supermarket in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 27, 2022. - Reuters

JAKARTA, April 4 (Bloomberg): Indonesia’s police will be deployed for a 24-hour surveillance of cooking oil production and distribution as rising food prices become a key political issue in the country.

The task force made up of police officers, intelligence agents and government employees will make sure companies are producing bulk cooking oil as targeted and selling it for below the 14,000 rupiah (98 cents) a liter price cap, said Police Chief Listyo Sigit Wibowo.