Had Stalled For 2 Years, Coordinating Minister Zulhas Geber Discussed Food Safety Rules

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs (Menko Pangan) Zulkifli Hasan. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs (Menko Pangan) Zulkifli Hasan is speeding up the discussion of the Draft Government Regulation (RPP) on Amendments to Government Regulation Number 86 of 2019 concerning Food Safety.

Zulhas, as he is familiarly called, said that discussions related to the regulation had not been discussed for two years. But finally, he continued, the revised points could be completed.

"In principle (discussion), which was 2 years ago, we can finish this within 1 hour," said Zulhas, at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Jakarta, Monday, March 17.

Zulhas revealed that the discussion was quite tough, especially in the points of explanation of the articles in the regulation. Finally, he said it was decided not to make changes and return to the main points of the regulation.

"The debate is in the explanation. That's why we lost the explanation earlier, back to the point, yes," he explained.

Zulhas said the articles that were highlighted, especially regarding food supervision. As in Article 47 Paragraph 2a, which regulates the supervision of processed fish foods and the like to the Head of the Agency which refers to the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (POM) and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

Furthermore, Zulhas said food supervision in the agricultural sector would also be delegated to the Ministry of Agriculture. Including other supervision is also regulated in the regulation, such as some supervision by the Ministry of Industry.

"So if the marine is in the field of fish (Ministry) of Maritime Affairs, if the industry in (Ministry) Industry, if agriculture is agricultural, it is (Ministry) Agriculture," he said.

Zulhas said that then the food supervision could be followed up by each of the relevant ministries.

One of them, by issuing ministerial regulations.

That way, continued Zulhas, supervision of the food safety aspect does not necessarily rely on the POM.

"Later, if each ministry has the authority, it's a big authority. So the minister can make ministerial regulations, that's the ministry's business, the ministry cannot depend on the POM," he said.