Golkar Party Politician Agrees To Import Rice: If The Price Of Rice Is High, Pity The People, Don't Let The Stock Empty

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JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of Commission VI of the House of Representatives Gde Sumarjaya Linggih agreed with the plan of the Minister of Trade (Mendag) to import rice.

He considered all parties must see the problem completely before rejecting it. This is because according to him, the rice import plan is intended to maintain the stability of food prices in the market.

However, regarding when to import, Gde Sumarjaya reminded that the time should be adjusted according to the conditions. Either rice logistics for social assistance, reserve supply interests, or commercial needs.

"If the price of rice becomes high, pity the people. If the price is low, they also feel sorry for the farmers. Don't let the supply be empty", said Gde Sumarjaya, Thursday, March 25.

This Golkar Party politician said rice imports had been going on for a long time and was not a sudden policy. Moreover, the state must be prepared if the COVID-19 pandemic worsens or in anticipation of a new virus mutation and even individuals holding back rice sales.

"In fact, almost every year we (Indonesia.red) import rice. So prepare food logistics, let alone predicted La Nina will occur in 2021 by Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Council (BMKG). This needs to be a concern because we are not only on the side of the farmers but also for the people", he said.

However, the man who is familiarly called Demer thinks that there must be a balance between the interests of farmers and the community. He hopes that this policy will not harm farmers.

Meanwhile, to maintain food price stability, Demer assessed that Logistics Agency (Bulog) must truly take responsibility for the problem of food security which is now critical.

Bulog, according to him, certainly understands the task of balancing prices and ensuring there is rice throughout the year despite a disaster or a worsening pandemic condition.

"The current Bulog stock is said to have 800 thousand tons of rice, of which 300 are damaged. This is dangerous for food security. It could be that later if there is a disaster or COVID-19 gets worse, it will become rare", said Demer.