IAW Requests National Audit: Rice Surplus Claims Must Be Accompanied By Public Datasets

Illustration of bulog rice (ANTARA)

JAKARTA Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman often makes optimistic claims about food self-sufficiency, abundant rice stocks, and rising grain absorption of 2,000 percent. However, behind the rhetoric, the price of rice in the market remains high, farmers are pinched, and Bulog's warehouse is filled with damaged rice.

Secretary of the Founder of Indonesian Audit Watch (IAW), Iskandar Sitorus, said there was a big gap between government claims and the reality of the field. "The state loss swelled to trillions of rupiah," said Iskandar in Jakarta, Thursday, August 4.

According to him, since he first took office in 2014 until returning in 2023, Amran has been consistent with a communication style full of large claims. However, reports from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) and field facts show that Indonesia is still dependent on rice imports, prices continue to soar, and old Bulog's stock has repeatedly been found to be damaged.

Iskandar assessed that the 2,000 percent tax absorption claim should be doubtful because it is not accompanied by transparency of purchase data. Likewise, claims for the addition of 200 thousand hectares of rice fields are said to be incompatible with BPS data.

IAW then designed an analysis framework to test every public official claim. First, stock vs price: if stock is abundant, prices should fall. Second, absorption: fantastic claims must be proven by location, volume and quality data. Third, land: comparison of satellite data with BPS surveys. Fourth, distribution: supply shift claims must be supported by shipping documents. Fifth, subsidy: cheap rice must be right on target, not transferred to the premium market.

IAW's temporal analysis shows a consistent pattern since 2014'2019, when self-sufficiency promises were never realized and rice imports continued. Entering the 2023 period until now, claims are increasingly sensational, but in reality rice prices rise, small rice mills are suspended animation, and dependence on imports is getting stronger.

Despite being critical, IAW also offers a solution. Iskandar encouraged the government to use the BPK LHP as a guide, conduct a national thematic audit, and make real-time public dashboards containing stock data, prices, and distribution from the Ministry of Agriculture, Bulog, and Bapanas. He also asked for protection for small rice milling and precise law enforcement.

Every surplus claim must be accompanied by a dataset that can be downloaded and verified by the public. A true surplus is not about the words on the podium, but the price of affordable rice, a healthy warehouse without damaged rice, and small farmers who can breathe a sigh of relief," said Iskandar.