Airlangga Asks Police And Customs To Arrest Cooking Oil Hoarders

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto asked law enforcement officials to immediately arrest the cooking oil mafia.

“Just catch (cooking oil) smuggling. Please just if there (mafia) arrest. There is customs, there are police, arrest them immediately," said Airlangga in a statement, Jakarta, Friday, March 18.

Airlangga asked the police to take legal action against anyone who violates the law regarding the scarcity and high price of cooking oil in Indonesia.

The chairman of the DPP Golkar Party emphasized that the government will not tolerate any legal actions. Moreover, this concerns the needs of the community. "In principle, those who violate the law will be resolved by law, there is a task force under the Police," he said.

Airlangga admitted that the government has tried to maintain the stability of the demand for cooking oil in the community. One of them continues to provide subsidies for bulk cooking oil at a price of Rp. 14 thousand. According to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, cooking oil should be easily found by the public.

Moreover, the government has also deployed a Food Task Force to oversee the distribution of cooking oil to the public. In fact, said Airlangga, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo is also ready to secure the distribution of cooking oil to the market.

"The Chief of Police has also suggested that the distribution to the market will be secured by the Food Task Force," said Airlangga.

Previously, a limited meeting at the State Palace on Tuesday (15/3/2022) decided that the government would guarantee cooking oil commodities through a number of policies. The government sets the price of bulk cooking oil in the community at Rp. 14 thousand per liter.

Airlangga said, to get cooking oil prices at this price, the government provided subsidies.

"The Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) will provide subsidies, so that people can get bulk cooking oil at a price of Rp. 14,000/liter," said Airlangga.

The price of packaged cooking oil will be adjusted to the economic price. This policy was decided as an effort by the government to ensure the availability of cooking oil for the community.

The government acknowledges that there is uncertainty in the world situation which has led to an increase in the price of energy and food supplies. This resulted in the scarcity of cooking oil availability, including the availability of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) for cooking oil.