LaNyalla Is Furious, The Cooking Oil Cartel Game Must Be Investigated Thoroughly

AA LaNyalla Mahmud Mattalitti supports KPPU's efforts to bring the cooking oil cartel case to court. (photo: doc, DPD RI)

JAKARTA - Allegations of the existence of a cooking oil cartel that are detrimental to the community continue to slide. This made the Chairman of the DPD RI, AA LaNyalla Mahmud Mattalitti, fully support the efforts of the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) to bring this case to court.

LaNyalla, admitted that she was angry because she was still receiving complaints from the public regarding the 'disappearance' of cooking oil in small retail shops in a number of areas. Even though the government has carried out market operations continuously.

"President Joko Widodo has given instructions to his staff to ensure that cooking oil is available at a predetermined HET, which is Rp. 14,000 per liter," LaNyalla said in a press statement received by VOI.

According to LaNyalla, this was due to a failure to understand consumer psychology and the supply chain. And there is no well-controlled cooking oil policy from upstream and downstream.

"In fact, KPPU says that there are only four companies that control the cooking oil trade in Indonesia. The government, through the National Police and KPPU must investigate the alleged cartel and the possibility of hoarding," he continued.

LaNyalla also highlighted the behavior of the owners of oil palm concessions and their derivative companies, which should prioritize the domestic market obligation, rather than the export market.

“They have had land concessions for decades, and even have derivative industries, from upstream to downstream they have controlled for years. Even one of the social assistance packages from the government is also in the form of cooking oil. Which means that the social assistance money also goes to them. But the crisis of rare and expensive cooking oil is still happening,” said LaNyalla.

As previously reported, the KPPU has decided to take the issue of cooking oil prices into legal action, including the indications of a cartel in increasing the price of the commodity (cooking oil cartel).

"Since last Wednesday, January 26, the Commission has decided to continue the results of our research into the realm of law enforcement," Head of the KPPU's Public Relations and Cooperation Bureau, Deswin Nur, in his statement, Sunday, January 30.

"Especially in identifying various behaviors that may violate (or alleged articles that may be violated), and various candidates reported in the matter," he continued.

Deswin explained that in the law enforcement process, the initial focus will be on deepening various forms of behavior that have the potential to violate certain articles in the law.