Erick Thohir Answers Why Bulog Is Not Included In The Holding Of Food SOEs: Because They Are Stabilizers, They Can Intervene If Prices Rise

Minister of SOEs, Erick Thohir. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - SOE Minister Erick Thohir explained the reason why Perum Bulog was not included in the BUMN Food holding or ID Food was because it was to maintain stability and to meet market needs.

"Bulog acts as a stabilizer. Bulog intervenes when there is an increase in prices, then it can buy goods with certain values and it is included as cold storage or warehousing," said SOE Minister Erick Thohir at a working meeting with Commission VI DPR RI in Jakarta , quoted from Antara, Tuesday, January 25.

Erick Thohir explained that the Ministry of SOEs has a vision to have two food groups, namely Bulog and ID Food.

According to him, Bulog plays a stabilizer role that can intervene when food prices rise, so that food prices are maintained. Meanwhile, ID Food was formed to focus on the market.

Regarding market orientation, Erick Thohir said that one of them was coordination with the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono by imposing standardization of octopus products to be exported abroad.

"We have a meeting with the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Perinus-Perindo no longer need to have boats that compete with fishermen, but must be off-takers, and accompany these fishermen with standardized products. For example octopus, now from Perinus it is possible to upgrade the octopus to a standardized size. right, steamed and then vacuumed, we sent it to many countries abroad," he said.

Meanwhile, Sang Hyang Seri can start producing high-quality rice and then pack it using the vacuum method so that it can be exported to the Middle East.

Erick Thohir added that the government will also implement the same thing for sugarcane, corn and rice commodities in the future.

"So the role of our food holding is off-taker, no longer competing with farmers, ranchers, fishermen. This does need gradual consolidation, but if we want we can take the Prosperous Program as an example," he said.

As is known, on January 12, 2022, the Ministry of SOEs officially transferred the shares of five Food SOEs consisting of PT Indonesia Trading Company, PT Sang Hyang Seri, PT Perikanan Indonesia, PT Berdikari, and PT Garam to PT RNI as the parent company.

The transfer of shares was carried out after President Joko Widodo approved the establishment of a Food SOE Holding, following the issuance of Government Regulation (PP) No. 118/2021 concerning Additional State Equity Participation in PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia (Persero) or RNI.