Bali News / Bali Travel and Holiday Updates

Price of fruits and other offering materials during the series of Hindu festivities decrease by about 50 percent. The fall of price on offering materials is suspected as a result of weakening people’s economy in Karangasem. Significant part of wealth of people in Karangasem was taken by the police-banned cooperative Koperasi Karangasem Mandiri (KKM) which so far has not been released.

A number of housewives such as those living at Paya Housing Complex, Amlapura, said that situation is very quiet since Galungan festivity and seems to remain through Nyepi and Kuningan. They admitted that they are not buying as much offering materies – such as fruits and cakes – as they ussualy do in previous years for very limited financial strength. They admitted that series of Hundu festivity this time is gove through in difficult situation for economic downturn with no clue on when their money deposited at KKN will be returned.

The weakness in purchase of festivity needs was shown by price of janur (young coconut leaves). It now sold at a half price, and still is getting limited sales. In the previous Galungan festivity six months ago, janur was difficult to get as a lot of people were buying in large quantity. This time there is a lot of janur supply available, and price goes down as people tends to buy it in limited quantity. Janur is offered at Rp. 4,000 per 50 pieces now. In previous Galungan, similar quantity of janur was sold at Rp. 8,000.

Fruits are showing similar tendency at the traditional market of Amlapura. Orange was offered at Rp. 6,000 per kilogram, a half of previous price of Rp. 12,000. Salak is offered at Rp. 7,000 per kilogram for the top quality. Mixed fruit (red apple, orange, pear) which was previously priced at Rp. 18,000, is now offered at Rp. 12,000 per kilogram.

Kerosene Availability

In the middle of economic downturn in the poorest regency of Bali, people are also facing problem in availability of kerosene. Difficulty in getting kerosene which has been started before Galungan immediately affects its price. At the moment one liter of keresone was sold at Rp. 7,000. “It is very difficult to get kerosene. I went quite far away looking for it, and when I found it, it is priced at Rp. 7,000 per bottle”, said Wayan Sri, a housewive living in Amlapura.

Another housewive Ni Made Maryani said whilst it is difficult to get kerosene, being poor her family could not afford to buy LPG stove and cartridge as their price is also soaring up. On the other hand, it is not possible to use wood fire in urban area where she lives. “Why is our economy getting more difficult. It is very difficult even just to get some kerosene”, Maryani said sadly.