PSI Holds Operations For Cheap Cooking Oil Market, Ministry Of Trade: It's OK Because The Stock Is Large, But I Don't Know Where They Get It From

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Trade said it did not question the market operations carried out by the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) even though the action was under the spotlight. This is because the sale of cooking oil is carried out in the midst of a shortage.

The Director General of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Oke Nurwan, explained that the market operation would not be a problem because the stock of cooking oil in the market was abundant.

"Go ahead. There's no problem. There's a lot of stock," said Oke, when met at the Kebayoran Lama Market, South Jakarta, Wednesday, March 9.

Furthermore, Oke admitted that he did not know where the cooking oil obtained by the political party came from.

"I don't know where he got it from, whether there is a special relationship from the company," he said.

Okay, also explained that the current cooking oil problem is because there is an opinion on the scarcity of goods. Because, there are parties who want to sell cooking oil at high prices for personal gain.

"There is an opinion as if the goods are rare even though there are many. Yes (because people want to sell them at high prices)," he said.

On a separate occasion, the Minister of Trade (Mendag) Muhammad Lutfi said the stock of cooking oil was very large. In fact, likened to so much like muddy.

Lutfi said that the stock was the result of a domestic market obligation (DMO) policy. In fact, said Lutfi, the distribution of cooking oil has also been running in 356 regencies/cities in Indonesia.

"If we look at the numbers on the field, it shouldn't be wet anymore, but muddy," Lutfi said in a virtual press conference, Wednesday, March 9.

Lutfi said, from February 14 to March 8 2022, total exports of crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives reached 2,771,294 tons and there were 126 export issuances from 56 exporters.

Meanwhile, the total DMO collected was 573,890 tons. Meanwhile, the total DMO distributed was 415,787 tons. Distribution in the form of bulk cooking oil and packaged cooking oil to the market.

"The distribution of DMO has exceeded the estimated consumption needs for one month which reached 327,321 tons," he said.

Previously, it was reported that a video of cheap cooking oil was uploaded by the official DPP PSI Twitter account @psi_id. It is said that cooking oil is sold at a price of Rp. 10,000 per liter.

In a statement on the 0.30 second video, PSI stated that the sale was made in Cibarusah District.

"Cooking oil is still scarce. DPD PSI Bekasi Regency is holding a cheap market in Cibarusah District. Hundreds of liters of cooking oil are sold at a price of Rp. 10 thousand per liter. Come to work for the people!" write account.

This post received many responses from netizens. How is it possible, in the midst of the current oil scarcity, PSI actually has access to cooking oil and sells it to residents. With various responses from netizens, PSI also replied that oil is obtained by buying it from traditional Bekasi traders. alternately and the price we pay is also the current selling price, not the government subsidy price," said Bekasi Regency PSI DPD chairman Muhammad Syahril.