Jabat Kepala Bapanas, Amran Diminta Prabowo Kebut Swasembada Pangan

JAKARTA - Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman admitted that he had received a special task from President Prabowo Subianto after being appointed Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) replacing Arief Prasetyo Adi.

Amran said the special task given was to accelerate the implementation of national food self-sufficiency. He said this program is also a top priority in Bapanas.

"(Special tasks from Prabowo) Swasembada (food) as soon as possible, benefiting farmers, smiling consumers," he said when met at the Balapanas Office, Jakarta, Monday, October 13.

Amran said that in the near future the food self-sufficiency target could be achieved. Initially, he said, Prabowo was targeting within four years, but the target was cut to three years. Soon, the target was accelerated again to one year.

We have gradually resolved this self-sufficiency. God willing, pray that there will be no obstacles in the next two, three months. Our dream is that we will achieve the target of the President of four years of self-sufficiency within one year," he explained.

In addition, Amran also highlighted the importance of maintaining stability of staple food prices.

Especially, food commodities that receive government subsidies such as rice.

Kata dia, Bapanas akan terus memantau ketat terhadap harga pangan strategis agar sesuai dengan Harga Pokok Penjualan (HPP), Harga Pembelian Pemerintah (HPP) untuk tingkat petani, serta Harga Eceran Tertinggi (HET) ditingkat konsumen.

“Terus diawasi, khususnya pangan yang disubsidi pemerintah. Rp150 triliun subsidi pemerintah. Itu kita wajib intervensi. Karena kita harus jaga petani dengan HPP, jaga konsumen dengan HET. Mutlak. Semua beras yang disubsidi pemerintah itu harus diintervensi, diawasi,” katanya.

He said, Bapanas will continue to closely monitor strategic food prices in accordance with the Cost of Sales (HPP), Government Purchase Prices (HPP) for the farmer level, as well as the Highest Retail Price (HET) at the consumer level.

"Continue to be monitored, especially food subsidized by the government. Rp150 trillion in government subsidies. We must intervene. Because we have to take care of farmers with HPP, protect consumers with HET. Absolute. All rice subsidized by the government must be intervened, supervised," he said.