The Trade Minister Asked For Rice Imports To Be Closed At The End Of January, Buwas: Laut I'm Not Nyetel

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

JAKARTA - The President Director of Perum Bulog, Budi Waseso, did not deny the delay in importing rice assigned to Bulog.

Buwas, his nickname, explained that this was due to extreme weather that occurred late last year.

As is known, Bulog received an assignment to import 500,000 tons of rice from several countries to meet domestic needs.

In the first phase, Bulog plans to bring in 200,000 tons of imported rice.

However, until now only about 120,000 tons have entered Indonesia and it is estimated that it will reach all of them by the end of January 2023.

For the second stage, 300,000 tons will enter in early February.

It is planned that the initial entry will be 15,000 tons from Vietnam in early February and gradually enter all of them.

Meanwhile, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan stressed that the import permit will be closed at the end of January 2023. Responding to this, Buwas said that if the government asked for the import contract to be canceled, he would accept this.

"We can't force it, I've tried, I don't have a ship, I don't have it. The sea is not me who can control it, especially the weather, when we want to fight it. Yes, it's okay if it's canceled later, it's okay," he told reporters, written on Tuesday, January 17.

Buwas also said that the import of rice was an order from the state. Therefore, he admitted that he did not mind if the government wanted to cancel the contract.

However, he said, the import rice purchase contract of 500,000 tons had actually been carried out.

"We'll talk about it again. (If it's canceled) then it's okay, it's not me. This is all the state's orders. If you ask to cancel it, cancel it. We don't have a problem, we don't have to make it dizzy," he said.

Even so, Buwas ensured that rice import activities would end on February 14 to 15. So, in March no more rice imports came in.

"We tried (imports entering) last mid-February. So in March there were no more imported goods entering Indonesia," he said.

Previously reported, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) emphasized that his party would close the faucet on rice imports no later than the end of January 2023.

The reason is, Indonesia will soon enter the main harvest season in March.

"January end rice, it's no longer allowed. January. I can't anymore, I will give permission until January. After that, I can't anymore," he said in Cilegon, Banten, Sunday, January 15.

According to Zulhas, there is no reason whatsoever to enter imported rice after the permit is closed.

Zulhas said, when it enters the main harvest season, it must absorb rice in the country.

"Yes, blame yourself, please. We buy farmers, it's already harvested. Buy a lot of new farmers after that we operate the market," said Zulhas.