Said Iqbal Said The Price Of Cooking Oil In Indonesia Is More Expensive Than Malaysia And The United States

Demonstrators in front of the Ministry of Trade office, demanding that Minister Muhammad Lutfi resign because he is considered a failure/ Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI

JAKARTA - The President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) Said Iqbal said the Trade Minister had failed to fight speculators and mafias. Because according to Said Iqbal, 78 million tons of palm oil are produced worldwide. In fact, 40 million tons were produced by Indonesia. This means that more than half of the palm oil production that is used as the basic ingredient for packaged cooking oil is in Indonesia.

"But today cooking oil in Indonesia is much more expensive than in Malaysia. The price of cooking oil in Indonesia is more expensive than in America, therefore change the Minister of Trade", Said Iqbal said during a demonstration carried out by elements of workers and farmers at the official Ministry of Trade, MI Ridwan Rais Street, Gambir District, Central Jakarta on Tuesday, March 22, noon.

He also demanded that the government immediately reduce the price of cooking oil. The second demand also urges the government to provide the availability of bulk cooking oil, which is currently being dispensed with and being packaged.

"We ask for the availability of packaged cooking oil and thirdly, lower the price of basic commodities. We ask President Jokowi to replace the Minister of Trade who has failed to control the price of cooking oil and other basic commodities. By the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, prices have already increased", he said.

Furthermore, Said Iqbal said, if the trade minister is not replaced, packaged cooking oil is still expensive. Therefore, farmer union organizations in all provinces in Indonesia will stage large-scale actions to reduce the price of packaged oil, not bulk oil.

"Bulk cooking oil a year ago was declared a danger to the people, why are people in quotes like wanting to be killed by selling bulk cooking oil to save businessmen and the mafia. The state must not lose", he said.

The demonstration was heavily monitored by the police. The demonstrators also closed half the road. Even so, access to vehicular traffic leading to Tugu Tani from the Istiqlal Mosque was observed to be naturally dense.