Badanas Asks Perum Bulog To Accelerate Phase II Rice Aid

JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (NFA) has asked Perum Bulog to accelerate the distribution of the second phase of rice food aid which has been distributed starting in early May 2023.

"We urge Perum Bulog to focus on maintaining the number of rice reserves as well as accelerating the distribution of the second phase of rice food aid to the community," said Deputy for Diversity and Food Safety of NFA Andriko Noto Susanto in a statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Saturday, May 13.

According to him, the implementation of government food reserves (CPP) in order to maintain supply stability and food prices has been benefited by the community during the Eid al-Fitr 2023 momentum, which is broadly indicated by controlled inflation at 4.33 percent or a decrease from the previous month of 4.97 percent.

Andriko also conveyed that the CBP stock in Bulog Wates' warehouse, Kulonprogo Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region, was sufficient to meet the needs of stabilizing food supply and prices (SPHP) and distributing rice aid.

"For this reason, it must be maintained and we continue to encourage Bulog to collaborate with local governments to accelerate its distribution," he said while accompanying the DPR Commission IV working visit during a recess to the Bulog Wates Warehouse.

The number of beneficiary families (KPM) of rice food assistance in the DIY area is 379,441 KPM with a realization of April 2023 of 100 percent, while the second phase in May 2023 the realization of distribution only reached six percent.

Meanwhile, from the results of the field review, the stock of CBP in the Bulog DIY Regional Office warehouse is 10,214 tons, so it is estimated that the amount is sufficient to meet various existing needs.

On the same occasion, Chairman of Commission IV of the DPR, Sudin, hopes that the government can also encourage the acceleration of the procurement of the first term of rice in 2023 as well as efforts to fulfill other needs for people in need, including protein, either obtained from ruminant meat, poultry, chicken eggs, or fish.

"Our goal today is to ensure that efforts to meet the needs of the community can run well, as well as encourage food price stabilization efforts that can support the welfare of food business actors," he said.

Meanwhile, Bulog Finance Director Bagya Mulyanto said that if Bulog's rice stock had reached the optimal amount, the distribution of rice food assistance and SPHP efforts could be massively disbursed for the community.

"In the past two weeks, the rice stock will enter the warehouse and as soon as possible we will distribute it to the community through collaboration together with related parties," he said.