Regarding Restrictions On Rice Purchase In Retail, Head Of The National Food Agency: This Is Just For Equity

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi said the restrictions on the purchase of Stability of Supply and Food Prices (SPHP) rice were not due to scarcity. Arief said the restrictions were placed so that there would be equal distribution of supply or supply.

Furthermore, Arief said that his party together with the relevant ministries of institutions had been given direction from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to move quickly to overcome the national tension conditions today.

"I make sure the rice today is sufficient, once again the rice today is enough. Restrictions on retail for the sake of equitable distribution," said Arief at the Tjipinang Jaya PT Food Station Office, Jakarta, Monday, February 12.

Arief said that his party also continues to prepare Government Food Reserves (CPP). The reason, said Arief, is that if Bulog does not have CPP, it will be very dangerous.

"So I emphasize today, the government's stock is sufficient. Restrictions on this purchase from a few months ago, it has been implemented since last year. Why is it limited to 2 packs a total of 10 kilograms (kg)? That's so that the distribution is evenly distributed. If the rice household is 5-10 kg, that's certainly enough," he said.

To note, since October 2023, restrictions on the purchase of rice in the retail market have been initiated, especially in the purchase of SPHP program rice. The goal is to encourage people to shop wisely according to their needs and ensure that people do not overspend rice more than normal needs.

Arief said that his party together with all food stakeholders will also immediately pour rice into various market lines. He said this step was an order from President Jokowi so that people could return to shopping for rice calmly and wisely as needed.

"For that, the President has ordered that everything be converted to 5kg of rice, then immediately send it to the traditional market, the modern retail market. I was also ordered to clean up the Cipinang one, because there are a lot of stock here but in the modern retail market a little," he said.

"So all elements of the national rice ecosystem, starting from rice pangolins, traders including retail, BUMN, and BUMD, we will print it to 5 kg, we will accelerate it," he continued.

Furthermore, Arief said that currently what is accelerated is the printing of 5 kg packaged rice and then sending it to the market, that's just simple, both SPHP and commercial.

The commercial will be Food Station, the SPHP is Bulog. For commercial ones, it will be done by the Food Station along with other rice pangolins. Then for the SPHP, Bulog will also be assisted by friends who have rebagging (repackage)," he said.

Then commercial rice has prepared a total of 200 thousand tons. Especially for Jakarta, according to the request of the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta and the Managing Director of Food Station, 50 thousand tons have been given. So please the President Director of Food Station to prepare commercial rice to be sent to all modern markets in Jabodetabek. Bulog will also prepare the distribution of rice from the port directly to the Food Station. This should not be postponed for long," he continued.

For your information, the national realization of the distribution of SPHP rice until February 7, has reached 202,952,870 kg with the largest distribution area at the DKI Jakarta and Banten Regional Offices, East Java and Central Java.

The government's intervention program for the Cipinang Rice Main Market (PIBC) has also continued this year since last year. After it was implemented, the trend of medium rice prices (IR 64 III) in PIBC began to decline gradually. As of February 9, the price of medium rice (IR 64 III) recorded on PIBC was IDR 10,655 per kg with a total rice stock of 34,590 tons.