Want To Be Taxed, Premium Rice Price Turns Down

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that the price of premium rice in June 2021 decreased by 0.93 percent to Rp9,537 from the previous Rp9,627 per kilogram in May 2021.

Head of BPS Margo Yuwono said this condition also occurred for other types of rice categories.

"Premium rice, medium rice, and non-quality rice will both experience a price decline in June 2021," he said in a virtual press conference, Thursday, July 1.

Furthermore, Margo detailed that medium quality rice in June 2021 was recorded at IDR 8,907 per kilogram. This figure is down 0.03 percent from May 2021 which was Rp. 8,910 per kilogram.

Likewise for the category of non-quality rice, which experienced a decrease of 0.18 percent from the previous Rp. 8,710 to Rp. 8,695 per kilogram.

Meanwhile, when compared on an annual basis, namely the period of June 2020, all rice categories also experienced a decline with a note that the premium category fell 3.85 percent, medium 5.70 percent, and non-quality 2.95 percent.

This condition is inversely proportional to the price of grain at the farmer level, which experienced an increase of 3.36 percent to Rp. 4,546 per kilogram.

The price of premium quality grain also rose 0.40 percent to Rp4,946 per kilogram in June 2021.

In general, the farmer's exchange rate (NTP) last month rose 0.19 percent month-to-month to 103.59 from 103.39 previously.

“This farmer's exchange rate shows the exchange power of the value of agricultural products produced against the cost of producing goods and services consumed. NTP is calculated from the value received by farmers against the cost of production,” explained Margo.

To note, the government through the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) plans to levy value added tax (VAT) on a number of basic commodities or basic necessities. One of the targets is premium rice.

In the previous VOI report, there were three scheme designs in the implementation of the staple food VAT. First, the proposed VAT of 12 percent.

Second, the multi-tariff scheme is 5 percent lower than the first scheme by strengthening legality through a Government Regulation. And the third is through the final 1 percent VAT method.