Buwas Make Sure There Are No Additional Rice Import Quota

PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso ensured that his party would maximize domestic production without increasing the predetermined rice import quota.

The procurement of imported rice is to anticipate the phenomenon of El Nino.

"If there is no additional quota (import), only 2 million assignments. If the total is 2.5 million, but the 500 thousand has been completed," he said when met at the Ministry of SOEs, Jakarta, Monday, August 21.

In addition, Buwas, Budi Waseso's nickname, said the Ministry of Trade had conducted an MoU with India. The goal is to be on guard if Indonesia later needs additional rice.

"The Minister of Trade is also MoU with India, there are those who take care if there are shortcomings because of El Nino, so we are ready too," he said.

Previously, Buwas revealed that from the import quota of 2 million tons, Indonesia had secured 1.3 million tons of imported rice.

"This has come, for our stock, we have 1.3 million tons of 2 million tons, we have controlled it," Budi Waseso told the media after the MPR DPR Annual Session in Senayan, Wednesday, August 16.

Buwas said that the remaining 700,000 tons of imported rice would be imported in stages.

Meanwhile, 400 tons, he said, were already on their way to Indonesia.

"All you have to do is enter more than 700,000 tons, we have already done it, the remaining 400 continue to gradually," added Buwas.