inp.polri.go.id – Jakarta. The Food Task Force of the National Police (Polri) continues to urge and encourage business actors to increase their production and not to hold daily food stocks and sell them at prices above those set by the government. The Head of Food Task Force Inspector General Helmy Santika said the demand for staple foods ahead of Ramadhan was increasing rapidly. Therefore, availability and distribution must be balanced properly to avoid scarcity and the spiking of prices. "For this reason, the Food Task Force will continue to monitor the field to find out the challenges in the distribution and find its solution," explained The Head of Food Task Force. The Head of the Food Task Force stated that they will prepare a backup in their security and supervision so that government policies can run well. They also stated that they will prosecute firmly the individuals or perpetrators who violate the policies. "Many sanctions can be applied to perpetrators, ranging from administrative ones, fines, to criminal sanctions. Of course, everything will be done in a firm, measurable, objective and transparent manner," he said. The punishment for the food mafia has been regulated in Law Number 7 of 2014 which states that every business actor that keeps daily necessities and/or important goods in a certain amount and time, or when there is a shortage of goods, price fluctuations, and/or traffic constraints will be punished with maximum 5 years of imprisonment and/or fined with a maximum of 50 trillion IDR. Then, Article 29 paragraph (1) also states, business actors are prohibited from storing daily supplies and/or important goods in a certain amount and time. or when there is a shortage of goods, price fluctuations, and/or barriers to trade traffic in goods. Furthermore, in Presidential Decree 71 of 2015 concerning the Determination and Storage of Basic Necessities and Important Goods, it is stated in Article 2 paragraph (1), that cooking oil is included in the Basic Goods of industrial products. "If all of these elements are fulfilled, to gain self-profit when there is a shortage and hold it more than 3 months on average, then we will take strict action against that criminal act," explained the Two-Star General.