Coordinating Minister Zulkifli Ensures Bulog Transforms Into An Autonomous Body

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs (Menko Pangan) Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) after attending the Bulog Transformation Coordination Meeting at the Bulog Office, Jakarta, Friday (29/11/2024). (ANTARA/Maria Cicilia Galuh)

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs (Menko Pangan) Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) ensured that Perum Bulog would transform into an autonomous body because it had been decided in a limited meeting with President Prabowo Subianto.

"We are continuing the first meeting officially regarding the transformation of Bulog. Because this has been decided in a meeting led by the President directly some time ago," said Zulkifli after attending the Bulog Transformation Coordination Meeting at the Bulog Office, Jakarta, Antara, Friday, November 29.

In this inaugural meeting, Zulkifli together with Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of National Development Planning Rachmat Pambudy, Minister of PAN RB Rini Widyantini, Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono, President Director of Bulog Wahyu Suparyono and Head of Badanas Arief Prasetyo Adi discussed the concept of transformation, finance, and employment status.

After transforming, said Zulkifli, Bulog will become a very strong institution, because it is tasked with supporting the supply and stabilizing national food prices.

"The transformation will be that Bulog will be a very strong institution, he is also a stabilizer as well, a buffer. However, there are two ways, through the Presidential Decree or the law," he said.

Zulkifli hopes that this transformation can run quickly to support food self-sufficiency which is targeted to be achieved by 2027.

Previously, Zulkifli said that in an internal meeting chaired by President Prabowo Subianto, the Bulog transformation plan had received the President's approval.

"With the approval of the meeting, the President's permission, we will discuss starting Friday tomorrow regarding the transformation of the Bulog institution," said Zulkifli when giving a statement, at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Tuesday (26/11).

Zulkifli said that food self-sufficiency as one of the President's visions and missions will certainly depend heavily on Bulog's role, such as the absorption of grain and corn from farmers.

According to him, with this transformation, Bulog does not need to take into account profit and loss, such as functions that are currently run as corporations or SOEs.

"If the Logistics Agency is smooth to buy, it will run smoothly if the money is there, if you use interest, he expects you to continue to lose profits. Therefore, Bulog will discuss the institutional transformation," said Zulkifli.