Buwas About Proposal For Civil Servant Rice Visits: Wait For The Regulation

President Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso proposed that the TNI-Polri rice allowance and civil servants return to using government rice, in this case Bulog.

That way, he said, Bulog has certainty about the distribution of rice.

He admitted that he had submitted this proposal to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), which would later be followed up through a Presidential Regulation (Perpres).

"Wait for the regulations, wait for the Presidential Decree later," he said when met at the Cipinang Rice Main Market, Jakarta, Friday, February 3.

Buwas, as Budi Waseso is familiarly called, said that this proposal departed from the condition of Bulog, which no longer distributed rice to the target community for government subsidies (rasta or prosperous rice).

"Because it has become the decision of the President Rasta, it no longer exists. How about the rice in Bulog? Because this feels like we return it to the interests of the TNI and Polri ASN," he said.

Buwas admitted that the government's decision to provide rice allowances in the form of money to the TNI-Polri and civil servants was due to Bulog's mistake.

The reason, said Buwas, at that time Bulog gave rice with low quality. Therefore, now rice allowances are given in the form of money.

Buwas admitted that he felt the low quality rice.

The reason is, Buwas has been pursuing a career within the Indonesian National Police (Polri) since 1984 until he managed to occupy the position of Head of the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency.

"It was Bulog's fault at that time, Bulog gave rice with low quality. Yes, how, I also experienced it. I am also among those who feel that. Now I am the President Director of Bulog, I have to change that," he said.

Therefore, Buwas said he would change the image or view that Bulog distributed low quality rice or was not quality. He ensured that the rice to be distributed would be premium quality.

"Yes, it's because our producing machines do not release medium ones," he explained.