Cooking Oil Prices Still Expensive, Trade Minister Collaborates With Police To Take Firm Action On Sellers And Hoarders

JAKARTA - The government through the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) will not forgive hoarders and traders who sell cooking oil above the highest retail price (HET). The Ministry of Trade will work closely with the National Police Headquarters to take firm action against these cooking oil 'players'. The Minister of Trade (Mendag), Muhammad Lutfi, said that as of February 28, 2022, there has been a change in domestic prices, where there has been a decline, although Overseas prices are still rising. Because of that, said Lutfi, selling cooking oil at a price above HET and hoarding cooking oil is against the law. This is because the circulating cooking oil is the result of a domestic market obligation (DMO) policy. liters, the price of simple packaged cooking oil is IDR 13,500 per liter, and the price of premium packaged cooking oil is IDR 14,000 per liter.

"All cooking oil circulating today is DMO oil. Government oil must be sold according to government regulations, I will bring it against me and we will take strict legal action," said Lutfi, when met at the Kebayoran Lama Market, South Jakarta, Wednesday. , March 9. Lutfi said that he would immediately coordinate with the National Police Headquarters to take action against the 'players' who took advantage of the profits from selling cooking oil. We will coordinate with the National Police Headquarters," he said. Based on today's review, Lutfi said that the government still found the price of cooking oil which was sold at an expensive price. Even the availability is still limited.

There are at least two possibilities that cooking oil is still expensive on the market. First, because cooking oil is sold at high prices. Second, smuggling by 'players'.

"So there are those who hoard and sell them to the industry, or there are those who smuggle them out of the country. This is against the law," he said.