Zulhas Explains Reasons Not To Stop Distributing Social Assistance During Elections

Minister of Trade Zulhas (photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan opened his voice about the distribution of rice social assistance (bansos) which was still being carried out despite the implementation of the 2024 general election (Pemilu). He said this assistance was needed by the community.

Zulhas, as Zulkifli Hasan is familiarly called, said that the planting season and rice harvest were shifted due to the el nino phenomenon, thus affecting the availability of rice stocks.

Because of this condition, continued Zulhas, farmers cannot grow rice so they also do not have rice, as well as people who have difficulty getting rice.

If the harvest shifts, farmers do not plant rice, it means that farmers do not have rice, therefore if you distribute rice, it will be invaded. This means that many of our people are having difficulties. Therefore, social assistance is needed, elections or not elections," he said in a working meeting with Commission VI of the DPR, at the DPR Building, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, March 13.

Furthermore, Zulhas emphasized that the termination of social assistance could not be done just because of the condition of the election.

"People don't plant rice, they don't plant it, they definitely don't have rice. It's time because our election stops," he said.

Zulhas also revealed that El Nino had caused a decline in the number of January to March rice production by 2.82 million tons compared to last year's production.

"As a result, the price of unhulled rice rose to Rp. 8,000 to Rp. 9,000 per kg in mills," he explained.

Furthermore, Zulhas explained that the current high price of rice does not only occur in Indonesia. He said the price of rice at the international level was also high.

"The high price of rice does not only occur in Indonesia but the international average price is also high stable," he said.

India's export ban is also a trigger. Thai rice as of February 2024, USD 610 per ton, up 32 percent from the same period last year," he continued.