Ministry Of Trade Promises To Pay Debt Of Cooking Oil Rafaction In May, Entrepreneurs: Don't Just Talk

Illustration (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association (Aprindo) has asked the government, in this case, the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), not only to talk about the plan to pay off debt at a price difference or the one-price cooking oil program ratio.

Chairman of Aprindo Roy Nicholas Mandey said there must be concrete evidence that the government is indeed processing the payment of the debt of cooking oil wafaction.

"We are trying to make it concrete first now. It means like this, we want to make sure that the government's commitment is real, concrete, don't just talk about it. Because it's been more than two years," he told reporters, in Jakarta, Thursday, April 25.

Roy assessed that if the government had not paid the exchange of cooking oil, it would be something that investors saw as bad.

Furthermore, Roy said, investors will be of the view that legal certainty in Indonesia is not going well.

The reason is, what was promised was not fulfilled.

"This is a precedent that is not good for investors if it is prolonged. Because seeing that legal certainty in Indonesia is not in accordance with what is promised in the regulations, it is not even fulfilled," he explained.

Roy also hopes that the payment of the cooking oil mixed debt can be completed before the change of government from Joko Widodo-Ma'ruf Amin to Prabowo-Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

"So, we hope that it will be concrete soon and of course hope that it will not arrive at the change of government. Because this is still a transition period, while it is still a transition period," he said.

If later the amount of debt paid by the government is not in accordance with the retailer's claim, Roy asks for a joint open dialogue between retailers and the government.

For your information, Sucofindo has issued a debt figure for the difference in cooking oil prices that the government needs to pay, reaching Rp474.8 billion, including all cooking oil producers. Meanwhile, based on Aprindo's calculations, special rates for retail entrepreneurs amounted to Rp344 billion.

Even if there are differences later, we ask for open dialogue, discussions for difference or difference. Because we also have to be held accountable to shareholders and stakeholders," he said.

For your information, the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) is targeting debt for the difference in price or one-price cooking oil program for retail entrepreneurs to be paid in May 2024.

As is known, the debt problem with the price difference or the one price cooking oil program ratio has not found a bright spot.

The debt has not been paid to employers for two years since this program was launched in January 2022.

The Director General of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Isy Karim, said that his party was still processing the payment of the debt for the cooking oil reaction.

"Rafaction, hopefully it will be finished in the near future. Hopefully, May will be finished. Hopefully, yes," he said when met at the Ministry of Trade Office, Jakarta, Thursday, April 25.