Minyakita Corrupted, People's Trust Drained

The Minister, National Police Chief, DPR, and the Vice President conducted an inspection, it turned out that 66 companies were indicated to have cheated on Oilita. (Between)

Inspections after inspections were carried out. Ministers, the Chief of Police, the House of Representatives (DPR), and even the Vice President intervened. The result? 66 companies were suspected of reducing Minyakita. As many as 14 samples did not match the measurements. Some used fake labels. Some were selling more expensively than the Highest Retail Price (HET). This is not just a business situation. An initiative to betray public trust.

Minyakita, which was launched as a solution for cheap oil for the common people, has now turned into a nightmare. Cooking oil in bulk is adulterated. The measurements are cut. The price is a game. The people seem to be not only being toyed with, but also betrayed.

When it was first launched in 2022, Minyakita was promised as a quality cooking oil at a price of IDR 14,000 per liter. But from the start, problems were visible. Now in 2025, the HET has increased to IDR 15,700 per liter.

In the past, regarding cooking oil, stocks were scarce. Distribution was hampered. Prices soared. Now the sores are open. The measurement that should be 1 liter, is cut to 800-900 ml. Unscrupulous producers make a profit by selling oil with less measurement to the market. In fact, some attach fake Minyakita labels to sell bulk cooking oil at a higher price. The price even exceeds the HET.

The Metro Jaya Police (Polda) report found three producers proven to have reduced the Minyakita measurement. Another investigation revealed repackaging in Bogor, Surabaya, and Sampang, Madura. Cheap bulk oil is repackaged and sold as fake Minyakita.

If it is according to the measurement, it will definitely be bought, said Minister of Trade Budi Santoso. But how can the people believe it if the contents have been cheated?

Large-scale inspections were carried out. Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, found Minyakita with incorrect measurements in various markets. The Chief of Police revealed a new mode of distribution. Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka tighter supervision. However, is this enough? Is all of this nothing more than a ceremony?

In the field, the Banten Police arrested the Director of PT Artha Eka Global Asia, with the initials SEW (44). He is suspected of committing a Criminal Act of Consumer Protection and Unlicensed Oil Trading. Is this enough to restore public trust? Or is it just to calm the chaos temporarily?

Like the previous cooking oil scandal, it seems that many actors are still untouched. Big players in the distribution chain are not affected. Only small producers are sacrificed. The main actors are still free to regulate supply and prices.

Policies that should help the people are instead relaxed. Minyakita, which was once trusted, is now abandoned. Consumers are looking for other alternatives even though they are more expensive.

Trust in the distribution of basic necessities is increasingly fragile. The Minyakita case is not the only one. Previously, there was a scandal of mixing Pertalite into Pertamax which harmed consumers. At gas stations, people pay high prices for fuel whose quality is checked. Just like Minyakita, the promise of quality and affordable prices is just a game of individuals. So, who is responsible for the eroded trust?

Minyakita is a reflection of the failure of regulation and supervision. If the people no longer trust the products guaranteed by the government, how can they trust other policies? The scandal of mixing Pertalite into Pertamax carried out directly by PT Pertamina Patra Niaga had a major impact. Pertamina gas stations were quiet. Sales dropped by 50 percent.

Minyakita should have been the solution. However, what happened was a loss that harmed the common people. The inspection was just a spectacle. It feels like there are still players behind the scenes.

And now, Minyakita has not only had its dosage cut. The people's trust has also disappeared. Will this scandal end like the previous ones—the chaos of the past forgotten? Or will there be real action this time?

The answer, as usual, lies in the hands of those in power. But are we still naive enough to hope? Hopefully.