Discovering 500 Tons Of Minyakita Stored In BKP Warehouse, Minister Of Trade Zulhas Asks The Food Task Force To Follow Up

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

JAKARTA - The Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan asked the National Police's Food Task Force to investigate the findings of 500 tons of simple packaged cooking oil with the Minyakita trademark stored in the storage warehouse of PT Bina Karya Prima (BKP).

The discovery was made after Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan visited the company located in Marunda, Cilincing, North Jakarta.

"Of course there will be a Task Force to handle this. The important thing is that the problem will be taken care of by the Task Force," he told reporters, written on Wednesday, February 8.

Based on these findings, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan asked business actors who produce and trade Minyakita to comply with laws and regulations related to the management of the people's cooking oil program as regulated in Minister of Trade Regulation Number 49 of 2022.

"Currently we have ordered PT BKP to immediately distribute it to the market at a price according to the HET. This distribution will be monitored by the Ministry of Trade's PKTN Directorate General together with the Food Task Force," he said.

Zulhas, as Zulkifli Hasan's nickname, hopes that the found cooking oil can be distributed immediately to the market so that there are no issues of scarcity and the issue of Minyakita at prices that do not match HET in the market.

Furthermore, Zulhas stressed that the distribution of the findings of the Minyakita will be focused on the island of Java. However, if excess supply can be channeled to modern retailers or to the island of Sumatra.

"So in three days, I think this (distribution) can be finished, just in Java first. Because Java has the most (oil consumption), don't go to the modern market first. If it's still more, yes (distributed to) Sumatra. If you can't, then just Java first, if you can't. But in the markets," he said.

Meanwhile, Director General of PKTN Veri Anggrijono added, business actors who carry out trading activities for people's cooking oil, both bulk and packaged (Minyakita) must be committed and ensure that all of their obligations have been fulfilled.

"Law enforcement based on the provisions that apply to all forms of violations in the implementation of the People's Cooking Oil Program, both in bulk and in the packaging of the Minyakita brand which are traded directly or through electronic systems that occur will be continued as a last resort (ultimum remedium)," concluded Veri.