Forcing Rice And Salt Imports, PDIP Secretary Hasto: Food Problem Is Country's Life And Death

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) regrets the move of the Minister of Trade, Muhammad Lutfi, in planning to import 1 million tonnes of rice on the grounds of the lack of government rice reserves (CBP) managed by Perum Bulog.

PDIP Secretary, Hasto Kristiyanto, assessed that the Minister of Trade Lutfi had neglected coordination with the relevant line ministries, including regional heads who were the centers of food production. So, according to him, it seems like he insists on importing rice and salt.

"The main power base of the government is the people. The people are the source of legitimacy for the power of the state government," he said in a press statement received on Saturday, March 20.

According to Hasto, the Trade Minister must be in line with the president's food policy in making decisions. As well as trying to realize national food sovereignty in favor of the interests of farmers.

Apart from that, he said, ministers should also learn from the leadership of President Jokowi who always builds dialogue, absorbs aspirations, presents objective data, then makes decisions.

"The minister does not live in an ivory tower because he is a duty bearer as an assistant to the president," said Hasto.

For this reason, PDIP asked the trade minister to first coordinate with related parties, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Bulog, farmer associations, experts in agriculture, and regional heads. Because said Hasto, national food politics is independent food politics.

"Indonesia has extraordinary food diversity. The consolidation of increasing food production on the superiority of the archipelago's food diversity. Because the problem of food is a matter of the country's survival," he explained.

PDIP reminded the Trade Minister not to sacrifice farmers for the sake of temporary imports, which are filled with the interests of rent-seeking.

"Since March 2020 the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) has pioneered the movement to plant edible plants. All regional heads of the Party are moving. This step should be chosen by aides to the President," explained Hasto.

Previously, Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi explained that Bulog's CBP stock had fallen below its psychological level and had the potential to reach the lowest figure in history if all ex-imported rice in 2018 experienced a decline in quality.

Based on the data he received, currently, the CBP stock managed by Perum Bulog is around 800,000 tons. However, around 300,000 tons of this stock is the remaining imported rice carried out in 2018 and has the potential to experience quality degradation and cannot be released to the market.

Thus, he estimates that the CBP stock that is feasible and safe to distribute is only 500,000 tons, even though the safe stock agreed by the government to maintain price stability in the market is 1 million tons. In addition, Perum Bulog also has an obligation for market operations whose monthly demand reaches 80,000 tons or nearly 1 million tons a year.

"So Bulog's stock of approximately 800,000 tons is reduced by the 2018 import stock of 300,000, Bulog's stock only, maybe not reaching 500,000 tons. This is one of the lowest stock conditions in Bulog's history," Lutfi said in a press conference, Friday, March 19.