Asked By Jokowi To Lower Cooking Oil Prices, Luhut And Trade Minister Zulhas Ask For One Month

President Joko Widodo (second left) accompanied by Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini (center) greets residents while visiting the Traditional Market in Baros, Serang, Banten, Friday (17/6/2022/ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo ordered his staff, in particular the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and the Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas), to immediately reduce the price of bulk cooking oil in all provinces to IDR 14,000 per liter.

“Earlier, I asked the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment and the new Minister of Trade, (both of them) still asked for 2 weeks to 1 month. I think it will be as soon as possible, so that the price is affordable for the people," said President Jokowi in the Plenary Cabinet Session at the State Palace, Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Monday, June 20. Since the end of May 2022, Luhut has been assigned by President Jokowi to deal with the chaos of the scarcity of cooking oil and the rising price of raw materials. the tree. Meanwhile, Zulhas as the Minister of Trade (Mendag), is the minister responsible for the development of prices for goods and services. The President requested that the price of bulk cooking oil be evenly distributed by Rp. 14 thousand in all provinces in Indonesia. He has inspected markets in West Java and Banten and found that the price of bulk cooking oil is in accordance with government regulations at a price of Rp. 14,000 per liter. already at Rp. 14 thousand. But is it only in two provinces? We hope that in all provinces it is at that number, "said the President.

The President emphasized that currently the priority policy is to keep the price of goods affordable by the public. This policy was taken to prioritize the interests of the community in the midst of pressure from the supply chain of food and energy products in the global market.

Meanwhile, Trade Minister Zulhas, before the Plenary Cabinet Session on Monday, said he had found a common thread in the cooking oil issue. install at more than 10 thousand points, people can buy it at a price of Rp. 14,000," he said. Zulhas said he would ensure supply was maintained at the 10 thousand distribution points. He believes that this solution can solve the problem of distribution routes for bulk cooking oil. The second step that the Trade Minister has prepared is to develop simple packaging for bulk cooking oil, in order to facilitate the distribution process, especially in reaching remote areas of Indonesia. if it's far away. For example, in Maluku, right, so that the packaging can later be accepted where the distribution route will be easier," he said.