DPR Member From PKS: Trade Minister Zulhas Needs To Prove The Existence Of The Cooking Oil Mafia In Indonesia

Minister of Trade, Zulkifli Hasan. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of Trade)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission VI DPR RI Amin Ak stated that Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan needs to prove his statement that there is no cooking oil mafia in Indonesia, related to the cooking oil crisis that has occurred since late 2021.

Amin Ak stated that there are many indicators that are difficult to refute regarding the role of the domestic cooking oil mafia, such as the existence of strong indications of the occurrence of cooking oil trading cartel practices revealed by the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU).

This, continued Amin, was also strengthened by the fact that there were five palm oil producers who controlled 50 percent of CPO production and at the same time cooking oil.

He also reminded that when the government implemented the 20 percent Domestic Market Obligation (DMO) and Domestic Price Obligation (DPO) policies, there was a shortage of cooking oil in all regions.

However, as soon as the policy was lifted and the price was handed over to the market mechanism, suddenly the market was flooded with cooking oil products everywhere.

"If it's not a mafia action, who can do this in defiance of government policies? How does the Minister of Trade explain this?" asked Amin, in his statement, quoted from Antara, Thursday, June 23.

In addition, he said, since the government implemented a policy of the highest retail price (HET) on bulk cooking oil or subsidized cooking oil, the price of all bulk cooking oil has never touched the HET of Rp. 14,000 per liter.

The PKS faction politician also reminded him of the revelations of hoarding, smuggling, and alleged export violations involving a number of officials.

Amin is also surprised that there is a discourse on the elimination of bulk cooking oil in the midst of the protracted bulk cooking oil crisis which has not been able to be resolved until now.

As is known, the Attorney General's Office has named five people as suspects in the corruption case in granting export facilities for CPO and its derivative products, including cooking oil, which took place from January 2021 to March 2022.

As reported, the Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan believes that there is no mafia interference in the distribution, availability and price control of cooking oil that has plagued the past few months.

Met at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Monday, June 20, Zulkifli told reporters that he believed that the cooking oil problem was caused by a mistake in anticipating the spike in crude palm oil (CPO) prices in the world.

"No, I don't think it's about the mafia, not the mafia. There's a booming price increase. Friends who have CPO sell quickly, so there's a delay in anticipating it," said the Trade Minister.

According to Zulkifli, the increase in world palm oil prices should have been a blessing, but instead caused problems in the country.

The Trade Minister explained that one of the solutions he has prepared is to improve three distribution channels that will supply bulk cooking oil to more than 10,000 sales points at a price of Rp. 14,000 per liter for the community.