Erick Thohir Agrees Bulog To Become An Autonomous Body Under President Prabowo

SOE Minister Erick Thohir (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir provides support if later Perum Bulog becomes an autonomous body directly under the President.

"I also heard (about) Bulog, in the Commission in the DPR, he said that he had started working on it as a body and I agreed," said Erick as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, November 8.

Bulog's plan to transition from Perum to an autonomous body, said Erick, is an effort to realize President Prabowo Subianto's big program to make food self-sufficiency a success.

"With Bulog being a body, the Perum can control the fluctuations in food prices, which has been difficult for him," said Erick.

"If we talk about a big program, Mr. President Pak Prabowo is talking about food self-sufficiency, it's impossible if there is no body that can operate the market," said Erick.

By turning into a body, Bulog will have funds to carry out market operations.

According to Erick, Bulog's market operations were supported by loans from Himbara bank, whose funds reached IDR 30 trillion.

"If you borrow Himbara, there are flowers, if the state is present, it is different. It is the state's side for the people, in accordance with the vision of Mr. Prabowo self-sufficiency in food as soon as possible," he said.

Previously, the President Director of Perum Bulog Wahyu Suparyono said, Bulog would switch to autonomous body, so that it would no longer be under the Ministry of SOEs.

Bulog's status will be like the National Nutrition Agency under President Prabowo Subianto. This transformation will be regulated through a Presidential Decree (Keppres).