Guarantee Bulog Rice Prices Not Rising, Mendag Zulhas: If There Is An Increase, A Responsibility And Subsidized By The Government
JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan ensured that the price of rice distributed by Perum Bulog would not increase. Even so, he acknowledged that there was an increase in rice prices beyond that.
Zulhas, as Zulkifli Hasan is familiarly called, said that the cause of the increase in rice prices was known because of an increase in grain prices. That way, he said, there is a correction to the price of rice sold in the market. Even so, the increase is small.
"The price of grain has increased slightly. But the price of rice (in) Bulog is guaranteed," he said when met at the Ministry of Trade, Tuesday, October 11.
However, Zulhas does not guarantee that premium types of rice can be maintained. The reason, said Zulhas, is because premium rice follows the market mechanism. This means that there is no government intervention regarding the selling price of the rice.
"If premium oil is like brand cooking oil, it's taste. But the Bulog price is fixed, it doesn't change. If there is an increase, it will certainly be borne, subsidized by the government," he explained.
Based on the National Food Agency price, the average premium rice price is at Rp. 12,630 per kilogram (kg). Meanwhile, the average medium rice is at Rp. 11,090 per kg.
Meanwhile, the highest price of medium rice is in West Sumatra with Rp. 13,400 per kg. There has been an upward trend in rice prices since July 2022.
Meanwhile, Acting Director General of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Trade Syailendra explained that his party had taken steps related to this matter. For example, collaborating with the National Food Agency (Bapana) to adjust the reference price for purchasing grain. That is, there is an advantage of buying at the farmer level.
"From the data submitted by friends in other ministries related to our production is still in surplus, so we ask Bulog to absorb it immediately, there is a lot of production," he said.
Currently, said Syailendra, the government still controls the stock of rice in Perum Bulog at around 700 thousand tons. Meanwhile, real data on rice stocks in the community or in Bulog is 2 million tons. That way, he ensures that this stock is sufficient until the end of the year.
"If the data we receive, including those in all kinds of people, the number is above 2 million tons. Enough until the end of the year? That's enough," he said.