REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of State Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir ensures the availability of rice in Indonesia is safe. This was stated by Erick when reviewing rice availability with President Director Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi at Ramayana Klender, East Jakarta, Monday (12/2/2024).

Erick explained that world food prices are currently increasing in recent years. Not only factors in world food prices, Erick continued, fluctuations in food prices are also determined by the growing season and the harvest season.

“Due to the cycle today, we also see how rice production increased significantly later in March, almost a surplus of 3.5 million tons as the data presented,” Erick said while reviewing rice supplies at Ramayana Klender, East Jakarta, Monday (12/2/2024).

In these times, the government seeks to intervene in restraining the turmoil of higher prices. Erick said that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had also called himself, President Director Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi and the Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) to intervene in the market.

“Mr. President also checked directly at some point because it was taken our policy to throw another 250 thousand types of SPHP rice so that the unrest does not happen and we can make sure that there is enough rice stock, we have 1.2 million tons and there will be another 500 thousand, so God willing, enough,” Erick said.

Currently, Erick continued, the community has a number of options of premium rice types with prices of Rp 69,500 per 5 kg or Rp 54,500 per 5 kg with SPHP rice type. In this way, Erick says that people can make purchases according to their needs and purchasing power.

“But the government made sure that our 250 thousand tons were dumped, thanks to the Bulog directors who were present today for continuing to keep the commitment so that there is enough in the market,” Erick said.

Erick made sure the government also continued to be present providing some assistance such as 22 million beneficiary families (KPM) as much as 10 kg. Erick said the policy does not exist in other countries. In fact, the government also provides energy subsidies of up to Rp 540 trillion for electricity and fuel.

“So it's amazing that the Indonesian government, indeed the price of rice and food in the world is rising, why is it going up because of course the geopolitical situation, there are wars in some countries and the colonization of our brothers in Gaza,” Erick said.

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