Disband Bulog: Discourse On Dare Of Minister Of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo

The Logistics Affairs Agency (Bulog) which by the Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo was discussed to be closed because it became a hotbed of corruption. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Logistics Affairs Agency (Bulog) has a big role in maintaining the distribution and stability of food prices. The narrative is echoed so that the prices of basic commodities rice to soybeans are guaranteed. The practice of price games can be avoided. Farmers are prosperous. People are not starving.

Problems arise. Bulog's role is often questioned. His contribution to increasing people's lives is not optimal. The people often receive low quality poor (racin) rice. Tjahjo Kumolo also took a stand. The Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) proposed the discourse on the dissolution of Bulog.

Bulog's presence cannot be underestimated in the national map. The evidence is quite large for the increase in the lives of the Indonesian people from 1967. Bulog comes with breath to take care of reserves and stabilize food prices rice to soybeans.

Bulog also distributes so that rice reserves can be enjoyed by underprivileged groups of people. Bulog's function continues to grow from the New Order (Orba) era to the reform era. Bulog not only maintains the stability of food prices.

Bulog has a big task from management to food distribution. Bulog's control is considered important so that no rogue entrepreneur dares to tamper with rice prices and others. The essence of all Bulog is like the spearhead of the government in presenting food security.

Farmers benefit. The people are prosperous. However, Bulog's journey was not smooth. Especially in the era of the Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) government. Bulog, while unknown, had a noble purpose, instead became a mountain of state officials' money.

Whoever is the ruler, seems to be able to take advantage of the import gap in Bulog's foodstuffs to pick up illegal money for corruption. This condition made Bulog almost disbanded because it was too mixed between personal and group interests, compared to the lives of the Indonesian people.

The voices wanted Bulog to disperse boom everywhere. Gus Dur, who then stepped down, revealed that Bulog's funds were suspected of entering the pockets of major political parties in Indonesia. Even though the political party in question was busy denying Gus Dur's statement.

Gus Dur alluded to a very vulnerable political issue. Gus Dur, the nickname of the 4th president, said that there were 10 parties that received funds from Bulog. The non-bujeter funds because they were not included in the official budget of Rp. 109 billion were deposited into the treasury of parties ahead of the 1999 election. At first, Gus Dur did not want to explain who received the funds.

"But then it was revealed that generally big parties. Golkar, reportedly, received Rp40 billion, PDI Perjuangan earned Rp38 billion-Rp8 billion of which was given to PKB through General Chairperson Matori Abdul Djalil and the United Development Party (PPP) received Rp24 billion. Like a cor, all parties denied it when confirmed, "said M. Taufiqurohman and his friends in Tempo magazine entitled Big Party Supported by Bulog? (2002).

The statement made by Gus Dur regarding Bulog's funds flows to the horrendous political parties throughout Indonesia. Bulog's discourse was disbanded emerged. However, recently the discourse dimmed itself. The government considers that Bulog has an important role so that it cannot be disbanded.

Usually, the discourse on the disbandment of Bulog arises from people outside the government. However, when Tjahjo Kumolo released the discourse on the disbandment of Bulog throughout the archipelago again in 2015. The statement of the Minister of Home Affairs in the 2014-2019 era began because Bulog was unable to resolve the problem around the provision of food reserves.

Tjahjo actually received a lot of reports related to Bulog's performance which was getting more and more backward. Bulog is considered unable to handle small matters such as buying rice from farmers. Rakin distribution matters are not optimal. Bulog also tends to be like doing business with the people, rather than helping him.

Not to mention the corruption affairs that undermined Bulog. He revealed that Bulog should be an extension of the government's hands on food security. It doesn't make the government even more bothered to take care of rice again. However, Tjahjo's desire to dissolve Bulog met with opposition from here and there.

He received opposition from fellow ministers, such as the Minister of SOEs, Rini Soemarno. He said the racing program built by Bulog had helped the poor a lot.

Rini revealed that if he was determined, Tjahjo had to think about the initiation of a new institution. An institution that can help with the food affairs of the poor. Criticism also emerged from Senayan politicians. The majority of the people's representatives did not agree with the discourse on the dissolution of Bulog.

They prefer Tjahjo to encourage Bulog's improvement rather than be disbanded. This method is so that Bulog continues to improve performance. Dissolution is considered to bring new problems. Food prices in the market are out of control. The opposition made Bulog's disbandment fail again.

Bulog has existed today. In fact, Bulog is one of the government's mainstay SOEs to help the poor. Even though its performance still gets criticism from here and there because it still relies on rice imports, it is not focused on buying food from domestic farmers.

"If you handle small matters such as taking care of rice and buying rice from farmers, you can't, just disband it. I have shouted the disbandment of Bulog since the reign of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) because Bulog tends to do business for profit," said Tjahjo as quoted by the ANTARA website, April 16, 2015.