Zulkifli Hasan Confesses To Discuss Cooking Oil A Month Before He Was Appointed As Trade Minister

Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) said that before he was appointed as minister, he met with business actors related to the issue of bulk cooking oil so that it could be sold at the highest retail price (HET) of Rp. 14,000 per liter.

"A month ago I had a discussion with friends in the palm oil business, there was a priority scale, the priority of the President (Jokowi) was Rp. 14,000, so bulk oil arrived at the place, the goods were received. It was not completed (price is still above HET), " he said at the Trade Ministry Office, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 15.

According to Zulkfili Hasan, there is a way to solve the problem of bulk cooking oil in accordance with the HET. However, he refused to elaborate further.

"I discussed with my friends, there are several ways, but just wait a day or two, which I think can quickly overcome (the HET problem) which was long yesterday (unfinished)," he said.

When asked about the government's plan to phase out bulk cooking oil, Zulhas did not want to explain further about the plan.

However, he admits there are plans to replace bulk cooking oil with simple packaging.

"Bulk and packaging are the difference. At least 500. They say 1,000 (packages) are good. We will solve that problem," he concluded.

Previously reported, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed, there are only two countries that still use bulk cooking oil.

These countries are Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Therefore, Luhut wants to remove bulk cooking oil and replace it with simple packaging. It is planned that the abolition will be carried out in stages.

"So we want this bulk we will make simple packaging, step by step," said Luhut at the BPKP office, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 15.

According to Luhut, later the price of simple packaged cooking oil to replace bulk cooking oil will be attempted at a price of Rp. 14,000 per liter.

Luhut believes that the price can be maintained, provided that the supply of raw materials for simple cooking oil is sufficient.

"Market mechanism, if the supply is sufficient, it will go," said Luhut.