Bulog Claims For Market Operations During 2022 Successfully Collapsed 1.2 Million Tons Of Rice

Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Perum Bulog noted that for the first time it poured 1.2 million tons of rice in market operations or the Supply Availability and Price Stabilization (KPSH) program which took place non-stop from January to December 2022, as an effort to reduce rice price fluctuations in the country.

"This figure is the largest amount of rice market operations in the history of the establishment of Bulog. In accordance with the state assignment and in the framework of wider economic stabilization, Bulog will continue to hold massive market operations with the addition of stock from imported rice," said Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso as quoted by Antara, Thursday, December 22.

Budi Waseso also emphasized that his party had issued instructions to all ranks that the KPSH program had to run smoothly throughout the year.

The public does not need to worry because Bulog guarantees the availability of rice at affordable prices even though in the market there is a slight price increase.

"We are conducting continuous monitoring in the midst of the current situation and we will continue to flood the market with CBP stock power at this time where there are additional rice imports. The distribution of market operations carried out by Bulog will continue to increase in number until the end of the year," said Budi Waseso.

The government's policy to import 500,000 tons of rice through Perum Bulog is certain to have an impact on curbing the rate of increase in rice prices.

With the import of rice and supply of CBP fulfilled, the price of rice in the market will certainly decrease.

"Psicology is like that, we bring in imports, there is certainty that goods and when the market already finds out that Bulog has goods, it is strongly believed that prices will be controlled," said Budi Waseso.

Regarding the additional imported rice, Budi Waseso reiterated that this policy was solely to strengthen national rice reserves.

Of course, the policy taken will not interfere with farmers who will only harvest three months from the end of February or early March because the need for CBP stock assigned to Bulog is quite large, around 1 million to 1.5 million tons.

"In addition to imported rice entering, we are also still absorbing domestic farmers' rice to date. Then what we need to pay attention to is the stability of rice prices in the community, for that we will do our best to implement the stabilization program without any elements of interest except the interests of the people, especially in the midst of a situation like now," added Budi Waseso.

He said Bulog also continues to coordinate with the central and regional governments to keep rice prices at the consumer level stable or not experiencing a spike.

Market operations carried out throughout the year by Bulog have proven to be effective in maintaining rice price stability at the consumer level.