From chillies, chicken and rice, Indonesia’s food costs surge amid free meal rollout

[JAKARTA] For the past couple of months, Bilal Hilman has been cutting back on the sambal portions in his popular dishes to cope with the surging prices of key ingredients such as red chillies, eggs and chicken.

The 38-year-old, who has a stall in Jakarta, is trying to avoid raising prices for his loyal customers. “It’s better to reduce the portions. If I increase the price, customers will surely stay away,” he remarked.

Bilal’s dilemma is echoed nationwide. Indonesia’s food inflation climbed to a 16-month high in September to 6.4 from 4.5 per cent in August.