Government Debt Rp16 Trillion To Bulog, President Director: Almost All Paid

President Director of Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - The total government debt that has been paid to Perum Bulog has almost reached Rp. 16 trillion. The debt is an accumulation of the difference in the selling price of rice, the basic price, transportation costs during procurement, to rice storage costs.

The President Director of Perum Bulog, Bayu Krisnamurthi, also opened his voice about the news of the Rp16 trillion debt. He said the government had almost paid the entire debt.

"Until now, almost all of them, I don't memorize the numbers, but almost everything has paid off. All the audit processes have been completed and have paid off," he told reporters in Jakarta, written Friday, April 25.

However, continued Bayu, the payment of Rp. 16 trillion was not technically issued to Bulog. Bayu said that the payment was made to the bank because in the process of holding a CBP, Bulog made a loan to the bank.

"So the payment is not to the Rp 16 trillion Bulog, but to replace the costs incurred to Bulog, including or the concrete form is to replace it to the bank, where we use the money to carry out the operation earlier," he explained.

Previously reported, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked Finance Minister Sri Mulyani to immediately pay off a debt of Rp. 16 trillion to Perum Bulog for the procurement of imported rice.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto detailed that Perum Bulog has additional budget needs, namely for the first phase of rice imports of Rp7.9 trillion, then the second stage of Rp8.4 trillion and the distribution cost of Rp2.8 trillion.

"Earlier, the President's direction was that the Minister of Finance was asked to immediately pay off Bulog's accumulated bill of Rp. 16 trillion," said Airlangga, quoted from ANTARA, Monday, November 6.

Airlangga said Jokowi had approved food assistance next year which would be given from January to June 2024.

The government decided to provide social assistance in the form of 10 kilograms of rice given since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was still distributed until 2024.