Bulog Doesn't Plan To Change Rice HET Even Though Prices Continue To Rise

JAKARTA - The General Company of the Logistics Affairs Agency (Perum Bulog) has no plans to increase the highest retail price (HET) of rice. Even though the current rice price trend is still fluctuating and tends to rise.

For your information, based on Bank Indonesia's records through the National Strategic Food Price Information Center (PIHPS), the price of medium rice rose to Rp14,750 per kilogram (kg).

President Director of Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi did not deny that rice prices were still rising. However, the government and Bulog do not plan to increase the HET of rice.

"HET did not increase, because the increase in rice was fundamental," he said at a press conference at the Bulog Office, Jakarta, Thursday, January 11.

Furthermore, Bayu explained that the factor causing rice prices to continue to increase was the decline in production. Therefore, he considered changing the HET had little impact.

"Factors are in production and supply. So changing HET doesn't have much impact. Now if it is increased, it may just be like a justification for price increases," he explained.

Therefore, Bayu said that several things that Bulog is currently doing are ensuring that rice prices do not rise even higher. One way to do this is by boosting the SPHP.

"We boost our SPHP and encourage it to increase. Even if we haven't been able to lower prices, the group of people who need it already has rice, we can guarantee the fluctuations. Because what is more terrible than high prices is the unclear ujlag-ujlug price," he said.