Yogya Police Says The Need For Surplus Cooking Oil, But Why Did President Jokowi In Fact Find An Empty Stock?

President Jokowi checks the availability of cooking oil at Pasar Kembang, Yogyakarta (Photo: BPMI Setpres)

JAKARTA - The Yogyakarta Special Region Regional Police confirmed that 1.4 million cooking oil entered from March 5-14, none of which was stockpiled. In fact, it has reached consumers at prices according to the provisions of the Ministry of Trade.

The Head of Public Relations of the DIY Regional Police, Kombes Yuliyanto, explained that the National Police Chief General Listyo S Prabowo had given orders to all ranks to carry out surveillance, including ensuring the availability of cooking oil on the market.

"The Yogyakarta Regional Police have carried out the order long ago. In DIY we have not found any hoarding of cooking oil," Yuliyanto told reporters at the People's Forest Park, Kapanewon Playen, Gunung Kidul Regency, Wednesday, March 16, quoted from Antara.

He said, based on the data received by the DIY Regional Police, the need for cooking oil in DIY was met and even a surplus. Because the data from the Ministry of Trade from March 5-14, the stock of cooking oil that entered DIY was 1,445,489 liters.

"According to calculations, the supply of cooking oil to DIY is in surplus," he continued.

But admittedly, the police did find one warehouse in Yogyakarta that had a lot of cooking oil. However, after being investigated, there was no evidence of hoarding of cooking oil.

"Some time ago when we checked one of the warehouses there was a lot of oil. But when we checked it turned out that new goods had arrived. Therefore, we immediately made sure that the goods would be distributed to the Regency according to the letter in the introduction to the cooking oil administration. ," he said.

Regarding the scarcity of packaged cooking oil, especially those circulating in supermarkets, Yuliyanto thinks this should rarely happen. Considering data from the Ministry of Trade, millions of liters of cooking oil entered DIY from the beginning until March 14.

Even if, for example, it is found in a supermarket where the availability of goods is limited, it will concern all of us, including the public, so that they can report it to the nearest police station so that they can be followed up immediately.

According to him, there are several things related to cooking oil that could potentially become an internal crime. First, said Yuliyanto, in accordance with Article 107 of Law Number 7/2014 which regulates the hoarding of goods.

"So when someone hoards cooking oil, article 107 can be imposed. There are other things, for example, cooking oil is transferred to the DIY area but by distributors being transferred to Central Java, article 108 can be imposed," he said.

In addition, it is also possible if the designation is misused. Given that there are two purposes, namely for consumption and industry.

"So it has the potential to violate regulations, because the price in the industry is indeed more expensive. As for the price for consumption, the government has set a price of Rp. 14,000 per liter for packaged cooking oil," said Yuliyanto.

President Jokowi's Findings

The data held by the Regional Police are different from the findings of the president in Pasar Kembang, Yogyakarta. There, Jokowi entered Alfamart on Sunday, March 13 at 09.05 WIB. He directly checked the availability of cooking oil in a number of market locations and supermarkets, which had been a problem for months.

When he arrived at a mini market in Pasar Kembang, the President immediately walked to the cooking oil place. Sure enough, he finally saw firsthand there was no stock of cooking oil.

"Since when isn't there?" asked the President.

"Just this morning, sir," replied the minimarket guard.

The President also asked the selling price of the cooking oil.

"For two liters, it is Rp. 28,000, but for one liter, it is Rp. 14,000," said the minimarket guard.

"But when will you come again?" asked the President.

"You don't have to, sir," said the shopkeeper.