- Title: Preparations for Eid under way in Indonesia despite deflation
- Date: 25th March 2025
- Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (MARCH 13, 2025) (REUTERS) (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF GARMENT STALLS, INCLUDING MAKESHIFT STALLS OPERATING FROM PARKED VEHICLES TIMELAPSE OF SHOPPERS WALKING THROUGH MARKET JAKARTA, INDONESIA (MARCH 13, 2025) (REUTERS) 66-YEAR-OLD GARMENT SELLER, NGATEMAN, AT HIS STALL BUYERS PASSING BY NGATEMAN'S STALL OPERATING OUT OF HIS VEHICLE (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesi
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- Keywords: Eid Indonesia Jakarta holiday markets preparations
- Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- City: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA001140625032025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Markets in Indonesia's capital Jakarta are bustling with sellers and buyers preparing for Lebaran, or Eid, celebrations next week, despite an announcement earlier in March that the country saw its first deflation reading in more than two decades.
Indonesia's consumer price index fell 0.09% year-on-year last month, well below market expectations for 0.60% inflation. It was the second month in a row the annual CPI rate has come in below the central bank's inflation target range of 1.5% to 3.5%. January's inflation rate was 0.76%.
Among the top contributors to the annual deflation were utilities, due to a 50% discount on electricity tariffs for some customers in January-February. Lower prices of some food products such as rice, tomatoes and red chillies also contributed, as food production in the last two months recovered from the impact of a drought last year.
Eid al-Fitr, one of the two major celebrations in the Islamic calendar, is celebrated by more than 220 million people in Indonesia, which is the world's largest Muslim-majority country. Indonesia's Muslims, who make up about 87% of the country's population of around 280 million people, mostly flock to markets for garments and food items, a hallmark of the religious celebrations.
However, one garment seller said he had seen sales fall compared to last year.
"Perhaps this is because of the current uncertainties in the economy, but hopefully in the future things will get better," Ngateman, who goes by one name, told Reuters on March 13.
Regardless of price fluctuations, however, the lead up to religious holidays sees food prices go up, something that consumers would have to take into account.
"I will still buy them because I need them for Lebaran (Eid)," 45-year-old housewife, Nana Abdullah, said.
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