Coordinating Minister Zulhas Kasih Warning Distributor Of Oilita Don't Play Around Ahead Of Fasting And Eid

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas). (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) gave a firm warning to distributors not to mess with Oilita.

"Indeed, we have to pay attention to it, so don't let anyone play around with cooking oil, especially before fasting and Eid," Zulhas said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, February 5.

Zulhas did this in response to the findings of the Kumita people's cooking oil mafia (MGR) which deliberately withheld the distribution route which resulted in the soaring Highest Retail Price (HET) of IDR 15,700 per liter.

He gave a stern warning to individuals who deliberately withheld the sale of Oilita to consumers. If this is done, it will be dealt with by the Food Task Force (Satgas).

"(What kind of firm action) is there a Task Force," said Zulhas.

He also emphasized that it is not only for Oilita, but applies to all other food commodities such as chili, sugar, and liquefied petroleum gas (elpiji) or 3 kilograms of LPG.

Zulhas admitted that his party continues to carry out direct checks in several areas, one of which is in Bayuwangi Regency, East Java, to check the availability of staples ahead of Ramadan 2025.

"So we will continue to see, we checked the field, yesterday I checked with Banyuwangi, because this will be the fasting month soon, Ramadan fasting month, which is a bit risky sometimes cooking oil, especially gas, it's about the lives of many people," said Zulhas.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Trade (Mendag) Budi Santoso admitted that this was a concern for his party.

"Yesterday there was something in Tangerang, we have exposed it, it is our concern. Don't let there be distributors like that anymore. Now we have arranged it. Now it's starting to be good, the price was Rp. 15,700 per liter," said Budi.

He admitted that the distributors suspected of violating it would be processed at the Police Criminal Investigation Unit.

His party also emphasized that if the distributor is proven guilty, the permit will be revoked immediately.

"Later, it will be confiscated, if it violates. The process has been processed at the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Police. Yes, it will be processed later, later if the permit can be revoked," said Budi.