Badanas: ID FOOD Assigned To Import 20 Thousand Tons Of Garlic For Government Food Reserves

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi said that PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia (Persero) or ID FOOD was assigned to import 20 thousand tons of garlic commodities for government food reserves (CPP).

"Yesterday it was decided in the coordination meeting that the SOE assigned was RNI (Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia/ID FOOD), first try 20 thousand tons (white screen) for stock reserves," said Arief on the sidelines of halal bihalal with media crews in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Friday, April 19.

Arif said that ID FOOD was assigned to import garlic to China. The assignment was based on a Limited Coordination Meeting (Rakortas) with the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto before Lebaran 2024.

"(The assignment from the results) of the last coordination meeting before Eid yesterday was given 20 thousand tons of assignment to ID FOOD," said Arief.

He explained that the procurement of garlic imports for government food reserves by ID FOOD will use a budget of IDR 28.7 trillion that has been prepared by the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu).

"The budget is already there from the Ministry of Finance, IDR 28.7 trillion can be used to cooperate with low-cost funds, only the food SOEs together with the Himbara SOEs cooperate," explained Arief.

Even so, Arief did not mention when the imports of these commodities began. However, he said that this needs to be encouraged so that the garlic commodity to be imported can enter immediately.

"It must be as soon as possible, because this must be encouraged. So once the limited coordination meeting was held, the Ministry of Agriculture should have directly recommended RIPH (Recommendation for Imports of Horticulture Products). Then the Ministry of Trade must directly grant an import permit (Employment Approval Letter/SPI)," he said.

Arief further said that the assignment of garlic imports by ID FOOD is a commercial assignment where interest subsidies are received.

"So there are two commercial assignments (government), the other is PSO (Public Service Obligation). The garlic ones are commercial, the subsidies will be in government food reserves, interest subsidies so that the normal subsidy interest rate is now above 10 percent, but the government provides relief for interest subsidies (4 percent)," said Arief.

Arief added that later if the imported garlic commodity has reached the country, it will be sold at a reasonable price and will be monitored by the government.