Badanas Decides To Stop Distribution Of Rice Food Aid In The Calm Period Of The 2024 General Election, February 15 Followed Again

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) asked Perum Bulog to temporarily stop the distribution of rice food aid during the quiet period of the General Election (Pemilu). This temporary suspension is carried out so that the election process runs calmly.

Badanas has also submitted a letter to Perum Bulog to stop distributing rice food aid. The letter numbered 117/TS.03.03/B/02/2024 was signed by the Deputy for Food Availability and Stability I Gusti Ketut Astawa on February 6, 2024.

Head of Badanas Arief Prasetyo Adi said that the cessation of this rice food aid was to honor the implementation of the 2024 General Election. At the same time ensure that there was no politicization in the provision of food assistance.

"So, on February 8 to 9, which is a national holiday and February 10 which is the last day of the campaign, then February 11 to 13, which is an election calm period, rice food assistance will be temporarily suspended in honor of the election and data updating. Once again, this is because there is no politicization of food assistance," said Arief in his statement on Wednesday, February 7.

Arief said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had also said that this rice food aid had to be temporarily stopped, so there was no polemic that this food aid was politicized.

"We understand together that this food aid is very much needed by the community and has been planned for a long time. Later, after the election, February 15, the distribution of this rice food aid will begin again," he explained.

Therefore, said Arief, his party asked Bulog to optimize distribution before the period of calm and post-voting and coordinate with the food affairs office at the provincial and city district levels.

Actually, programs like this have existed for a long time, only now that the rice products are very good and there are almost no complaints. Alhamdulillah, because Bulog itself has made improvements. This food aid looks massive because it is the assignment of the National Food Agency to Bulog and continues to coordinate very well," he said.

For your information, the realization of rice food assistance until February 6 has touched the figure of 179,149,760 kilograms (kg). It is planned that this community economic cushion program will be implemented until June 2024.