Minister Of Agriculture Amran Threatens To Strictly Tackle SPHP Rice Pengoplos So Premium

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman at a press conference in Jakarta, Thursday (26/6/2025). (DOC. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Before being dealt with firmly by the government, Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman asked the rice supplier for the Food Supply and Price Stabilization Program (SPHP) to become premium rice to immediately wake up and stop cheating practices.

Amran admitted that his party received a report on the alleged practice of mixing rice from SPHP rice which was converted into premium rice packaging.

"This is a report from below, we ask not to do it, don't repeat it (poisoning SPHP rice into premium)," said the Minister of Agriculture, confirmed in Jakarta, quoted from ANTARA, Friday, June 27.

He emphasized that this was a serious violation because it harmed the community and damaged the main goal of the SPHP Program in maintaining the affordability of rice prices in the market.

It was revealed, based on information received by his party, the distribution of SPHP rice to distributors is thought to have reached 60 to 80 percent. The rice was then changed to the packaging that was not in accordance with the provisions set by the government, namely to become premium rice packaging.

"If the information we received from the SPHP sold to the distributor is 60-80 percent (then changed the packaging to premium), 20-40 percent is sold according to standards," explained the Minister of Agriculture.

SPHP rice, which should be distributed according to standards, is actually dismantled, repackaged, and marketed at a medium or premium price, even though the product is still in the SPHP Program scheme.

Amran emphasized that laboratory data had been examined to trace indications of violations and hoped that the perpetrators in the field would no longer repeat the same mistake.

The government reminds all rice distribution business actors not to mess with the SPHP program because if they are proven to have committed fraud, there will be sanctions imposed according to applicable law.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Food Task Force at the National Police Headquarters, Brigadier General Helfi Assegaf, emphasized that the practices of entrepreneurs and producers who package rice with compositions that do not match their content, quality and quality are criminal acts.

"This is clearly a criminal act based on Article 62, Article 8, and Article 69 of the Consumer Protection Law. So, everything has been regulated in such a way," said Helfi.

Helfi reminded that if entrepreneurs or producers still practice this dirty practice and are caught, they will be subject to a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of Rp. 2 billion.

"However, the government still provides two weeks. This means that until July 10, we will check all retailers, both modern retailers and traditional markets. If the perpetrators of the crime are still found, then we will enforce the law," he said.