REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Government gives an incentive for soybean farmers by revoking the five percent soybean import duty amid the increasing price, at least until the end of the year. The Coordinating Minister of Economy, Hatta Rajasa, admitted that Indonesia still imported a million tonnes of soybean. 

In normal condition, the import duty is 350 IDR per kilogram. Meanwhile, Indonesian needs over soybean reach 2.2 million tonnes, with 700,000 tonnes of them are local soybean.

Following the revocation, the minister urges Indonesian importers to lower the soybean price and not to misuse the new tax policy. Government will also facilitate the cooperative for tofu and tempeh (soybean cake –Ed) makers to import soybean on their own. The aid will be facilitated by the Ministry of Trade, The Ministry of Cooperative and Small Medium Enterprises, and also the Ministry of Industry.

Hatta also calls on tofu and tempeh makers to stop the strike and continue to work despite the decreasing demand. As reported earlier, tofu and tempeh makers have been on strike for three days since yesterday as a protest the increasing price of soybean. 

The Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives Pramono Anung said government responded slowly over the increasing price of soybean. Pramono promised he would become one of the protestors if tofu and tempeh were disappeared from the market.

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