The Cooking Oil Polemic Doesn't End, PDIP Legislator Calls Trade Minister Lutfi A 'Toothless Tiger'

Minister of Trade, M. Lutfi. (Mary Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi finally accepted the invitation to a working meeting with the DPR to explain the problem of the scarcity and high price of cooking oil. During the meeting, Lutfi admitted that he was surprised that the cooking oil problem had not been resolved. Responding to the Minister of Trade's explanation, Member of Commission VI DPR, Mufti Anam said that he did not believe all of Muhammad Lutfi's explanations. The Mufti also said that the Minister of Trade complements the suffering of the people in the midst of the pandemic due to this problem.

"Thank you very much, because the minister has completed the suffering of the people, sir. Two years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic was hit, and suddenly there was a problem with this commodity," said Mufti in a working meeting with the Ministry of Trade, Thursday, March 17. "On this occasion, at length the minister conveyed A to Z, we don't believe it anymore," he continued.

Initially, Mufti said, the DPR was still trying to believe in Lutfi's policies. However, he said, the Ministry of Trade is like a toothless tiger, has no self-respect in front of the people and is a producer of cooking oil. This is because, according to the Mufti, since last January, there have been six Ministerial Regulations issued, but none of them have been realized and have positive implications for the community.

"We hope that you can grow our trust. But we see the Ministry of Trade as a toothless tiger, sir, it has no dignity not only for the people but in the eyes of cooking oil producers," said the PDIP politician. Previously, Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi explained the unfinished cooking oil problem to Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives. He was surprised that the stock of cooking oil in the community was scarce.

Lutfi said that since the implementation of the Domestic Market Obligation (DMO) and Domestic Price Obligation (DPO) policies, it was recorded that 720 thousand tons of CPO had been collected.

"Actually with Permendag 8 and 6, where we require a DMO, where exporters of CPO material must submit 20 percent of the total export at a specified price. So in a period of 28 days or February 14 and March 16. We managed to collect 720,612 tons from the number of exports is 3.5 million. So it is calculated from 3.5 million compared to 720 thousand, equivalent to 20.7 percent," explained Lutfi in a working meeting with Commission VI, Thursday, March 17.

Of the total CPO collected as much as 720 thousand tons, 570 million liters of cooking oil have been converted into cooking oil. Looking at this amount, said Lutfi, there should be no more shortage of cooking oil in the market.

"According to BPS, we consume 1 liter per month. With 570 million liters, it is equivalent to 2 liters for all Indonesians. So if you look at it, it is 168 percent of the consumption needs per month which is estimated at 327 thousand tons. So theoretically this has worked," he said.