Bulog Claims Social Assistance Program Is Able To Control Rice Prices In Domestic Market

President Director of Perum Bulog, Bayu Krisnamurthi. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - President Director of Perum Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi said that the 10 kilogram rice food social assistance program (bansos) was proven empirically capable of controlling rice prices in the domestic market.

"The price of rice is stable, it is not volatile, the price. Maybe it is still high but not volatile, it is still at a stable figure. It is proven that it is empirically proven, "said Bayu in a statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Thursday, February 15.

According to him, the rice food social assistance is one of the important instruments used by the government to maintain food price stability, especially rice, which is a vital commodity for the survival of the Indonesian people.

He said that the program provides direct assistance to vulnerable groups in order to meet their basic food needs.

"The second benefit obtained from food assistance is that as many as 22 million KPM (beneficiary families) he has 10 kg of rice at his house every month, at least three months or six months, so it's safe," said Bayu,

Although not immediately able to reduce rice prices in the market, Bulog emphasized that with the food assistance provided by the government through Bulog, it can maintain price stability so as not to become volatile.

The government through Perum Bulog has again distributed rice food assistance to KPM after being temporarily suspended on February 8-14, 2024, as an effort to avoid politicization of the program during the quiet period of the 2024 General Election (Pemilu).

"This morning we started distributing 10 kg of food aid (rice) to the community which was held at the Sukasari Post Office, Bogor, which happened to be approximately 2 kilometers from my house," said Bayu.

Bayu directly monitors the distribution of rice aid at the Sukasari Post Office, Bogor City, West Java. The rice food aid distributed in the area is 14,160 kilograms.

He said that specifically today the implementation was distributed through the Post Office because some of the urban villages where food aid distribution was still handled ballot boxes after the election.

Previously, President Joko Widodo said that the social assistance (bansos) for rice food provided by the government to the community helped in controlling rice prices in the market.

"It has nothing to do with (an increase in rice prices) with the help of rice. Because this (food social assistance) can control it, because the supply is through social assistance to the community," said President Jokowi after reviewing rice stocks at the Cipinang Main Market, Jakarta, Thursday (15/2).

According to the President, the food assistance provided by the government meets rice needs in the community, thus holding back or helping control rice prices so that they do not rise.

"So that actually holds prices from going up, otherwise it jumps. This is a supply formula and demand. The supply is given and distributed properly, automatically prices are controlled," he explained.