Jokowi Meeting On Rice Without A Minister Of Agriculture Syahrul Limpo, President Director Of Bulog: I Don't Know

JAKARTA - President Director (Director) of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso (Buwas) admitted that he did not know anything about the absence of the Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo during a rice meeting at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday, January 31.

"I don't know," said Budi Waseso after attending a meeting at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday, January 31.

Budi said the parties invited to the rice-related meeting today were him, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, and Head of the National Food Agency Arief Prasetyo Adi.

"The people invited, I, there are only three rice matters, yes this is a matter of distributing the Trade Minister's market operations, that's stabilization, I'm the executor, Mr. Arief is the one who calculates the balance sheet," he said.

The meeting, said Budi, only discussed rice. Asked whether President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) discussed the cabinet reshuffle plan or a reshuffle, Budi admitted that he did not know about it.

"Nothing," he said.

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan on the same occasion was reluctant to comment on the news that there was a plan for a reshuffle on Wednesday, February 1.

"I take care of rice, chili, chicken eggs. The reshuffle is your right (President Jokowi)," he said.

On Tuesday, January 31 morning, President Jokowi also held a meeting related to the holding of PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). During the meeting, the Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) Siti Nurbaya was not seen. After the meeting, only Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry Alue Dohong was seen leaving the Palace area.

Alue Dohong was reluctant to comment much when asked about the cause of the absence of the Minister of Environment and Forestry in the Palace.

"No comment, if it's a matter," he said.

In recent times, there have been reports that President Jokowi will conduct a reshuffle on Wednesday, February 1. According to the Java calendar, the first Wednesday in February 2023 is Wednesday Pon which is usually President Jokowi's momentum to announce important decisions.

President Jokowi also on the last few occasions gave a signal that there would be a cabinet reshuffle.

Meanwhile, President Jokowi's agenda on Wednesday morning is not yet known with certainty. Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung on Monday, January 30, explained that the President on Wednesday, February 1, afternoon, would go to Bali until Thursday, February 2.

"Although (I) know (about the reshuffle), I'm sorry I wasn't said," said Pramono, Monday, January 30.