Rice Prices Are Increasingly Expensive After The Government Decides To Extend The HET Increase

Rice (photo: Doc Antara)

JAKARTA - The price of rice, both medium and premium, at the retail traders level, has increased nationally on Monday, the first month of June. Whereas previously the government decided to extend the relaxation of the rice HET.

Referring to the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Price Panel, Monday, June 3, medium rice was recorded at IDR 13,430 per kilogram (kg). An increase of IDR 20 silver or 0.15 percent nationally on average.

The highest price for medium rice is in East Kalimantan Province at IDR 16,000 per kg. Meanwhile, the lowest price is in South Sumatra at IDR 12,100 per kg.

Not only medium rice, but the increase also occurred for premium rice. The national average price at the distribution rate is IDR 15,490 per kg, an increase of IDR 30 silver or 0.19 percent.

The highest price for premium rice is in Central Papua Province at Rp. 18,710 per kg. Meanwhile, the lowest price is in South Sumatra at Rp. 13,890 per kg.

Previously, the government through the National Food Agency decided to extend the relaxation of the Highest Retail Price (HET) for medium and premium rice.

Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi said the extension of the HET rice relaxation was part of the government's efforts to overcome supply challenges and food prices amid fluctuations in global commodity prices and climate change that affected national food production.

"The extension of the HET relaxation of rice is enforced today until new regulations related to HET in the form of a National Food Agency Regulation (Personal) as a change for the 7th agency in 2023 are issued," Arief said in his statement, Sunday, June 2.

Through a letter from the Head of the National Food Agency to the rice stakeholder Number 160/TS.02.02/K/5/2024 dated May 31, 2024, the extension of the Premium and Medium Rice HET Relaxation is valid until the issuance of the National Food Agency Regulation concerning Amendments to the Agency Number 7 of 2023 concerning the Highest Retail Price of Rice.

Based on this regulation, relaxation increased the HET of premium rice which was previously Rp. 13,900 per kg to Rp. 14,900 per kg in Java, Lampung, and South Sumatra. Meanwhile, the HET of premium rice in the area was set at Rp. 12,500 per kg from the previous HET of Rp. 10,900 per kg.

The same figure is set for the HET of premium rice and also medium rice in the Bali and West Nusa Tenggara regions.

Meanwhile, Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Riau Islands, Riau, Jambi, and Bangka Belitung Islands, HET relaxation increased by Rp. 15,400 per kg from the previous Rp. 14,400 per kg.

For HET, medium rice in Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Riau Islands, Riau, Jambi, and Bangka Belitung Islands is set at IDR 13,100 per kg. This figure is up from the previous IDR 11,500 per kg.

The HET of premium and medium rice is also designated for the regions of East Nusa Tenggara and Kalimantan.

Meanwhile, in the Maluku and Papua regions, the government has set a premium HET of Rp. 15,800 per kg. This figure is an increase from the previous Rp. 14,800 per kg. Meanwhile, the HET of medium rice in the region also increased from Rp. 11,800 to Rp. 13,500 per kg.