Luhut Wants To Remove Bulk Cooking Oil, Trade Minister Zulhas: Later It Will Be Packaged, The Price Is Only IDR 1,000 Difference

Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan. (Photo: VOI/Mary Handayani)

JAKARTA - Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the price of bulk cooking oil (MGC) with simple packaging would not be much different. This follows the government's plan to phase out bulk cooking oil and gradually replace it with simpler packaging.

"There is a difference between bulk and packaging. At least Rp. 500. He said Rp. 1,000 (packaging) is good. We will solve that problem," he told reporters quoted on Thursday, June 16.

The man who is familiarly called Zulhas admitted that he already had a scenario to overcome the cooking oil problem in the country. This is in line with the government's plan to phase out bulk cooking oil.

Furthermore, Zulhas admitted that he had 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. The meeting was held one month before he was appointed as the Minister of Trade to replace Muhammad Lutfi.

"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.

According to Zulhas, the results of the discussion emerged a number of scenarios to be able to resolve the issue of bulk cooking oil in accordance with the HET. But unfortunately, he refused to explain further.

"I discussed with my friends, there are several ways, but wait a day or two, there is a formula method that if we implement it, it can be overcome," he said.

Only Indonesia and Bangladesh still use MGC

Previously reported, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed that only two countries 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.