Rare Cooking Oil, DPR Considers Establishing A Special Committee

Illustration (doc. between)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the DPR RI, Rachmat Gobel, said the DPR would consider the formation of a special committee (Pansus) to complete the cooking oil trade system. As is known, currently cooking oil is scarce and expensive.

The question was raised by the Joint Meeting of Commission IV, Commission VI, and Commission VII DPR with the government, namely the Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Trade, Minister of Industry, and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources.

The joint meeting was scheduled to discuss four issues, namely the effectiveness of the commodity balance in controlling staple food prices; food balance, price increases and food readiness in facing the fasting month; fertilizer policy governance (subsidized and non-subsidized); and the supply and price of gas for fertilizer production.

At the start of the joint meeting, the issue of cooking oil became the concern of most of the meeting participants. However, the joint meeting was decided to be postponed because the Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi and the Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang could not attend the joint meeting.

"I would suggest that we consider bringing it to the Special Committee (about cooking oil), because this is a big issue. So this will be discussed across factions later," said Gobel, in a joint meeting, at the DPR Building, Parliament Complex, Tuesday, 15 March.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of Commission VI Aria Bima in the joint meeting said that the cooking oil issue had been postponed for too long. In fact, according to him, this problem must be resolved immediately.

"I think the public will see our seriousness regarding matters related to the people's problems regarding the price of this commodity. Because they really will not be able to solve it," said Aria.

Furthermore, Aria admitted that she was worried that the issue of community prices would not be resolved without Lutfi's participation as the Minister of Trade.

"Once again, I believe that this issue will not be resolved if we do not solve it comprehensively from upstream to downstream," he said.

On the same occasion, the Chairman of Commission IV DPR Sub-Department again brought up Lutfi's absence at the first meeting because he was visiting the regions. He also questioned the results of Lutfi's blusukan.

"One month ago we were in the same place. Suddenly (Trade Minister Lutfi) there was a visit to Makassar. For one month touring markets throughout Indonesia, what are the results so far?," said Sudin.

"I asked what the result was? The oil is still scarce, it's still difficult. Prices are still high, so what for? Even today, it doesn't solve the problem," he continued.