The Stopping Of Cooking Oil Exports Has Not Been Started, President Jokowi Now Talks About Lifting The Ban If Domestic Needs Are Fulfilled

Screenshot - President Jokowi during an online press conference from the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday night (27/4). (ANTARA/Indra Arief)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stated that he will lift the ban on the export of cooking oil and cooking oil raw materials if the demand for the domestic market is fulfilled.

President Jokowi in an online press conference from the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, April 27 evening, emphasized that meeting the people's basic needs, including cooking oil, is the most important priority of government policy.

"Once domestic needs have been met, of course I will lift the export ban because I know the country needs taxes, the country needs foreign exchange, the country needs a trade balance surplus," the President said as quoted by Antara.

Jokowi asked for the awareness of palm oil industry players to meet domestic needs first and make availability for the domestic market a priority.

"Supposedly if you look at the priority of production capacity, domestic needs can be easily fulfilled. The volume of cooking oil that we produce and export is much larger than domestic demand. There is still a very large capacity remaining," said Jokowi.

According to Jokowi, there is an irony because people find it difficult to get cooking oil in the market at an affordable price. In fact, Indonesia is the largest palm oil producer in the world.

"I ask the palm oil business players to look at this problem better and more clearly, and I, as President, cannot allow that to happen," he said.

Scarcity and spikes in cooking oil prices in Indonesia have occurred in the last four months.

The government has previously implemented various policies, such as the implementation of the Domestic Market Obligation, Domestic Price Obligation and the distribution of subsidies for bulk cooking oil. However, the scarcity and high price of cooking oil still occurs.

The government will officially ban the export of cooking oil and cooking oil raw materials on Thursday, April 28 at 00.00 WIB.