PDIP DPR Members Wait For Certainty On Rice Imports After The Rakortas, Asking To Be Careful Because It Affects Image

Rice in Bulog (Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of Commission VI DPR RI Aria Bima reminded the government to pay attention to the price of rice in the market to ensure the effectiveness of imports if they continue to import.

Aria said, in accordance with the law, the government can export and import by paying attention to prices at the consumer and producer levels.

"Paying attention here, we have to go through a mechanism using the Rakortas (limited coordination meeting)," said Aria in his statement, Friday, March 26.

Furthermore, he said, the government could only decide on the appointment of BUMN to import. However, it still concerns production, distribution and retail prices.

"I do not want (the red government) to take decisions without definite calculations. If the government is bad, PDIP as the supporting party will get a bad image too," explained the member of the DPR from the PDIP faction.

Because of that, Aria admitted that he wanted to know the certainty of imports or cancellation at the coordination meeting that will be held with the Minister of Trade. Although the government is committed not to import rice during harvest time.

"I really ask whether this is the initiative of the Minister of Trade or the government. We hope that there will be certainty and we will immediately ask it in the Commission VI meeting because the import decision is the government's decision, the result of the coordination meeting of all levels of working partners," he said.

Aria suggested that a limited coordination meeting should be chaired by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, also involving the upstream level, namely the Minister of Agriculture, the downstream level, namely the Minister of Trade, and Perum Bulog as the parties conducting the distribution.

"Yesterday, when I heard between the Minister of Trade, Bulog, and the Minister of Agriculture, I had not said one word. Therefore, I will invite the Trade Minister because this is the government's responsibility," he said.