Commission IV Of The House Of Representatives Criticizes The Determination Of Medium Rice HET: One Price Should Be Like Fuel

Illustration. Rice sold in traditional markets at varying prices. (doc. Ministry of Agriculture's Bureau of Communication and Public Services)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives Alex Indra Lukman criticized the Government's varied determination of the Highest Retail Price (HET) of medium quality rice. He is worried that this policy will actually be the entrance to the practice of unlawful acts in the community.

Rice is the basic needs of the Indonesian people from Sabang to Merauke. One price should be like fuel oil (BBM)," said Alex, Thursday, August 28.

According to Alex, the distribution of HET by referring to regional clusters will actually be very troublesome in the midst of the unclear institutions that will oversee the HET of medium rice in the market. He revealed, according to SNI 6128:2020, the government has classified rice into several classes, namely Premium, Medium I, Medium II and Medium III.

"For fuel, the government has established a subsidy category of only the type of pertalite. Like it, for this rice too," explained Alex.

Therefore, Alex is waiting for the government to determine which quality standards will be subsidized. So, according to him, one price of rice in the country can be realized as has been applied in pertalite type fuel.

"We also enjoy calculating the subsidies. Subsidized recipients are also clear, because they will refer to more valid data, such as DTKS issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs," he said.

"In serving the needs of its people, if then the state is famous, then that may happen. What cannot be harmed is the private sector because they do not aim to serve the people," added the legislator from the West Sumatra I electoral district.

As is known, the determination of the price of rice is contained in the Decree of the Head of the National Food Agency of the Republic of Indonesia Number 299 of 2025 concerning the Determination of the Highest Retail Price of Rice. In the latest regulation on the HET of medium rice, Bapanas sets an increase in the price of medium rice in all regions variatively.

The increase starts from Rp900 per Kg to Rp2,000 per Kg. With details of the Medium Rice Quality Standard including a minimum level of 95 percent, a maximum water level of 14 percent, a maximum of 2.0 percent menir grain, a maximum of 25 percent broken grain, a maximum of 4 percent of other rice grains, a maximum of 1 percent grain of grain, and a maximum of 1 percent.

Other objects are a maximum of 0.05 percent.

Badanas set the latest HET medium rice by referring to 8 regional clusters. For cluster I consisting of Java, Lampung and South Sumatra, the HET of medium rice is set at IDR 13,500 per kg. Meanwhile, the clusters of Aceh Province, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Riau, Ripri, Bengkulu, Jambi and Bangka Belitung, HET of medium rice amounted to IDR 14,000.

Meanwhile, for the Bali and West Nusa Tenggara clusters, it is IDR 13,500 per Kg. Then, the East Nusa Tenggara cluster is IDR 14,000 per Kg. Then the Sulawesi Island cluster is IDR 13,500 per Kg, and the Kalimantan Island cluster is IDR 14,000 per Kg. As well as the Maluku cluster IDR 15,500 per Kg and the Papuan cluster IDR 15,500 per Kg.